HelloSoft

About HelloSoft

HelloSoft, Inc. operated as a key provider of intellectual property (IP) and technology solutions for the communications sector, with a focus on Voice over IP (VoIP) and wireless technologies. Founded in 2002 by Krishna Yarlagadda, the company was headquartered in San Jose, California, and maintained a significant research and development facility in Hyderabad, India. Yarlagadda, who served as the President and CEO, led the company's efforts in developing licensable technologies for the rapidly converging communications market.

The company's business model was centered on licensing its software and semiconductor connectivity IP to semiconductor manufacturers, original device manufacturers (ODMs), original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and service providers. Revenue was generated through a combination of licensing fees and royalty payments. HelloSoft provided the foundational technology for a range of products, including mobile phones, IP phones, Wi-Fi devices, and other consumer electronics that required voice and video over internet protocol capabilities.

HelloSoft's product portfolio included a suite of customizable IP for VoIP and wireless LAN (WLAN). A notable product was the HelloWLAN™ family, which offered a complete and customizable solution for the IEEE 802.11 wireless standards (including b, a, and g). This allowed developers to choose how to partition hardware and software, optimizing for cost and resource utilization on their specific platforms. The company also developed the HelloDual-Mode™ VoIP technology, a software suite that provided all necessary components for a VoIP client on mobile devices, enabling seamless hand-offs between cellular and Wi-Fi networks. Throughout its operation, the company secured significant venture capital, including a Series A round of over $11 million in 2003 and a Series B round of $16 million in 2005 from investors such as Entrepia Ventures, Intel Capital, and Venrock Associates. In a significant milestone, HelloSoft was acquired by the British technology firm Imagination Technologies in November 2010 for a maximum consideration of $47 million, a move intended to combine HelloSoft's connectivity IP with Imagination's multimedia processing cores.