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Modu

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Modu is a tiny modular phone that can be slipped into different device “jackets”— like an MP3 player, GPS, bigger cell phone, car stereo, or digital camera. Modu will launch in Q2, 2009 with mobile carriers in Israel, Southeast Asia and later in Latin America, Russia and other countries. There are no plans for a U.S. launch at this point.

The company was founded by CEO Dov Moran whose previous company, M-Systems, pioneered the concept of the USB flash drive and sold to SanDisk for $1.6 billion in 2006.

Think of Modu as an expanded SIM card. About the size of an iPod Nano, it can place calls, send text messages, and hold contacts. Modu can be inserted into different device jackets, depending on the functionality needed. The camera jacket, for instance, can be paired with Modu to send pictures over the wireless network.

Modu will initially support just GPRS, no WiFi. The jacket devices are expected to cost less than comparable gadgets with telephony functionality, with the plan to create an accessory mini-economy around the Modu, so that any device manufacturer could create whatever jackets they like. Modu is a platform, and other companies can build devices around it.

Milestones

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• Received $7M in Unattributed funding. (1/09)
  Posted 1/26/09 at 3:40pm
• Received $58M in Series B funding. (3/24/08)
  Posted 8/29/08 at 2:22pm
• Received $20M in Series A funding. (6/07)
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Ronit Maor, VP Corporate Development added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Lior Storfer, VP Research and Development added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Liat Arad, COO added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Jacob Shama, VP Value Added Products added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Zack Weisfeld, VP Marketing added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Itay Sherman, CTO added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Dov Moran, CEO added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Sariel Engel, VP Business Development added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Udi Weinstein, CIO added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm
• Karl Pfister, General Manager Europe added.
  Posted 3/12/08 at 6:59pm

Videos

Screenshots

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Products

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Modu

Modu Beat

Modu Bicycle Mate

Modu Boombox

Modu Car Mate

Modu Clamshell

Modu Creative Mate

Modu Entertainment

Modu Executive

Modu GPS Mate

Modu Guide

Modu Kids

Modu Love

Modu Media Mate

Modu Mini Style

Modu Music

Modu Music Slider

Modu Night Mate

Modu Picture Mate

Modu Play

Modu Skin

Modu Slim

Modu Sport

Modu Storage

Modu Street

Modu Style

Traffic Analytics

Compete

Sources

1. LibraryHouse (libraryhouse.net) [edit]
2. Israeli Zoolander Handset Maker Modu Raises $100M (thealarmclock.com) [edit]
3. Calcalist (calcalist.co.il) [edit]