Digital Harmony Caps $5 Million in Venture Funding

8 December 2000

Digital Harmony Caps $5 Million in Venture Funding to Roll Out New Technologies for Consumer Electronics Devices; Taiwan Funded Venture Capital Assists in Financing

    SEATTLE--Dec. 7, 2000--Digital Harmony Technologies Inc. (DHT), a leading developer of digital media networking technologies for the home and for the studio, closed a $5 million Preferred Series A funding round.
    The latest group of investors includes Taiwan-based Walsin Lihwa, Pan-Pacific Venture Capital Co., Ltd., and several strategic corporate and individual investors. Digital Harmony will use this funding to drive technology into production devices with the growing list of Digital Harmony licensees developing IEEE-1394 based products. Over the next twelve months, the consumer and pro audio markets will see products from Denon, Harman Kardon, Linn, and Peavey containing Digital Harmony's technologies.
    Digital Harmony's technology is delivered today to licensees as the DHIVA (Digital Harmony Interface for Video and Audio) module. The DHIVA is a complete hardware reference design that includes Digital Harmony's firmware for device control and media stream manipulation on a IEEE-1394 bus. DHIVA enabled audio video devices can be connected together into a true home entertainment network using a one wire connection that provides complete access and control of every device in the network -- regardless of brand. DHIVA modules are currently the only turnkey solution for designers that are looking to ensure absolute interoperability through the application of 1394 technology.
    In addition to 1394 technology, Digital Harmony's current portfolio includes BiDAT(TM) transceivers, used to send digital data over speaker cables; WireFree(TM) whole house, wireless digital transmitters; Realm(TM) encoders and decoders for recording digital data in audio signals and PAWS(TM), an audio watermarking system that survives MP3 compression.
    In addition to 1394 technology, Digital Harmony's current portfolio includes BiDAT(TM) transceivers, used to send digital data over speaker cables; WireFree(TM) whole house, wireless digital transmitters; Realm(TM) encoders and decoders for recording digital data in audio signals and PAWS(TM), an audio watermarking system that survives MP3 compression.
    "This third round of funding will help us to support our licensees in bringing the first generation of Digital Harmony enabled devices to market in 2001," says Digital Harmony Technologies' President Greg Bartlett. "By licensing Digital Harmony's patented technology, manufacturers lower their R&D risk, guarantee interoperability and get products to market quickly."