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Originally published on 07/01/2002
Rosum is trying to bring to market a positioning technology that, for many users, could be much better than the current satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS). This is a huge task, but there are huge brains behind the company: James Spilker co-architected the original GPS network, and is chairman of the board. The CEO is the young Matthew Rabinowitz, and while he wears the boss suit a little nervously, he's got excellent geolocation chops. Also, the last company he co-founded was sold for $100 million.
Fast Facts:
Rosum
www.rosum.com |
| CEO |
Matthew Rabinowitz. Previous job: cofounder, Panopticon
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| HQ |
Redwood City, CA
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| Founded |
October 2000
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| Employees |
20
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| Market |
Geolocation
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| Funding |
$3M, all private. Currently raising C round, amount and valuation to be determined.
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| Profitable? |
No; projection not disclosed
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Instead of using GPS satellites as beacon platforms, Rosum uses existing, land-based broadcast television antennas. Most television stations today broadcast a precise, time-based "ghost canceling reference" signal, which is used to clean up multipath distortion. Rosum's system tracks which GCRs come from where; handsets record when they receive several GCRs and process this information to triangulate location.
Not only do GCR signals originate much closer to handsets than satellite-based GPS signals, TV stations also broadcast at much higher power (megawatts, versus kilowatts for the GPS birds). This makes GCR signals easier to pick out deep inside buildings, and these signals also yield more accurate position data. Another bonus: reading GCR signals takes less power than GPS.
The technology is apparently a good bet for markets like China, which won't embrace GPS because the satellites are American. The big downside: Rosum doesn't work where there's absolutely no TV signal, like in a mountain valley or the middle of an ocean (on the other hand, GPS often doesn't work indoors, where Rosum should).
It's a fascinating and potentially important technology. Matthew hopes that future cell phone handsets will combine Rosum technology with traditional GPS. Before that, however, the technology will likely be used in equipment for emergency workers (fire and police radios), and for physical asset tracking.
- Rafe Needleman
email: rafe-needleman@catchoday.com
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