Successful scale-up journey with high speed connectivity specialist

The Client: Blu Wireless

Blu Wireless’ technology is transforming global connectivity infrastructure. It’s a pioneer in mmWave communications and a leader in wireless networking equipment for multi-gigabit connectivity.

Capable of powering connectivity from complex environments on the battlefield or at sea, to trains travelling at high speeds, to public broadband in densely populated towns and cities, Blu Wireless helps customers to harness the power of multi-gigabit connectivity.

How we’ve helped:

We have supported Blu Wireless since 2009, when they were a start-up based in the SetSquared incubator. In over 16 years of legal support, we have helped them with various investment rounds, and the negotiation of customer contracts and licensing deals. These legal issues around raising investment and generating revenue via customers are usually the most pressing concerns for scale-ups.

Blu Wireless is a perfect example of how we can work alongside and add value to businesses on an ambitious growth plan.

Investment work:

We have assisted them since they were a start-up and over the last 16 years, we have acted on 10+ investment rounds, totalling over £50m from investors including ARM Holdings, Guinness Ventures, Perscitus, Moore Strategic Ventures and Calculus Capital.

The funding has enabled this ambitious company to develop its IP and grow its team so that it is now a major player in its field.

Commercial work:

We have helped the company negotiate contracts with some demanding customers and technology partners, as well as advising on grant agreements.

We have aimed to get Blu Wireless through these negotiations quickly and pragmatically - covering the risks but trying to get revenue into the business as soon as possible, which is essential for a scale-up business.

We have assisted with contracts in the rail sector (First Group), automotive (McLaren) and in the defence sector.

Long -term relationship:

We first met the team at Blu Wireless in 2009 when they were based in the SETsquared incubator. By 2013, they had become the largest tenant and were gearing up for their first major investment.

In those four years between start-up and their initial investment, we got to know the team and the business so that we could understand what the business needed from its investors.

Over time and multiple investment rounds, the senior management team at Blu Wireless has changed, but the legal team at Roxburgh Milkins has remained consistent. Blu Wireless has always been advised by senior partners, Ian Grimley and Charles van der Lande.

We provide continuity of care for Blu Wireless, as they go through the continuous process of raising money and negotiating contracts. We have the knowledge of the history of what happened in previous investment rounds, and the various clauses that were negotiated into previous contracts. With that insight we make sure that their contracts and commercial relationships dovetail with each other, and that all agreements are negotiated in line with their long term goals.