Cyanogen Inc. has racked up $80 million in funding to further develop its Android-based CyanogenMod operating system.
The company plans to use the funds to ‘hire talent and accelerate the development of its open OS platform’.
Over a dozen investors participated in the funding round, with big cash coming courtesy of Twitter, Qualcomm, Telefonica, Tencent and Rupert Murdoch.
Kirt McMaster, Cyanogen Inc.’s CEO, said: “
“We’re excited to have the backing of an amazingly diverse group of strategic investors who are supporting us in building a truly open Android.”
Cyanogen has now accumulated some $110 million in funding since it began commercial operations, further distancing the company from its once lowly hacker roots.
Related: What is CyanogenMod?
“We invested in Cyanogen because we’re big proponents of what they’re doing in opening up Android and supporting global and local ecosystem players,” said Sandesh patnam, Technology Sector Lead of Premji Invest, the company that led the funding round.
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The Android-modding firm recently underwent a large rebranding to create a more professional, corporate image.
Cyanogen also seems to be moving away from its dependence on Google services, having recently opted to ditch the default Android e-mail app for its own Boxer-based client.
Cyanogen will ship its latest operating system, CM12, in the coming weeks. This update will be based on Google’s latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
