Ray Ozzie's Blues Wireless raises $22 million to add 5G to everything

Blues Wireless, the latest startup from Lotus and Microsoft veteran Ray Ozzie, is announcing $22 million in Series A funding today.

Why it matters: The company, whose launch Axios first reported back in 2019, aims to build 5G modules that can easily add wireless connectivity to all manner of devices.

• The round was led by Sequoia Capital and Lachy Groom, with Bill Gates increasing his existing investment in the company.
• The company previously had raised $11 million in a seed round.

Between the lines: Blues Wireless announced its first product, Notecard, late last year.

What they're saying: "We offer a simple, affordable solution to a complex and costly problem: helping companies connect their products to the cloud, securely and with minimal effort,” Ozzie said in a statement.

• Ozzie is among the pioneers of PC software, creating Lotus Notes, an early program for helping corporate employees manage email and calendar tasks.
• In 2005, he sold his startup Groove Networks to Microsoft and rose to succeed Bill Gates as the company's chief software architect before leaving at the end of 2010.
• In 2015, he sold another company, voice communications startup Talko, to Microsoft.

Go deeper: The economic benefits of closing the digital divide