SmartSynch is a smart grid communications company that uses cellular networks for utilities' smart grid projects. It was founded in 2000 and currently has 70 employees. SmartSynch has raised over $83 million in funding from investors including Kinetic Ventures, Siemens Venture Capital, and JP Morgan. The company's GridRouter platform allows utilities to integrate smart meter data with other systems using cellular networks. While cellular networks provide flexibility, mesh networks may be better able to handle future smart grid applications due to lower latencies.

1. Case Study 11
SmartSynch
Dec 7, 2011
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2. Company Overview
Name SmartSynch
4400 Old Canton Road
Headquarters
Suite 300 Jackson, MS, 39211
Year Founded 2000
Employees 70 employees (registered on linkedin as of Nov. 2011)
A Smart Grid communications company, using cellular
Business
networks for utilities’ smart grid projects. A direct competitor
Sectors
against Silver Spring Networks.
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3. Funding History
Year Amount Participants in the Round
Kinetic Ventures and Siemens
Series A - 12M
Venture Capital
Beacon Group Energy Funds, Nth Power,
Series B Apr.2001 23M Cinergy Ventures, Exelon Capital Partners,
JPMorgan Partners
Kinetic Ventures, JP Morgan, Nth Power, GulfSouth Capital
Endeavor Capital Management, Siemens Venture Capital,
Series C Oct.2005 12M Lime Rock Partners, Battelle Ventures,
Innovation Valley Partners, Cinergy Ventures
Debt Mar.2010 11M -
Debt Feb.2011 25.7M -
Total - 83.7M -
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4. Focus Area
SmartSynch
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5. The SmartSynch platform
Transaction Management
SmartSynch
GridRouter System
Module
(Software)
SmartSynch module
monitors various tables Integrate SmartMeter data
GridRouter acts as a
within the meter, executes to key utility information
communication hub for
scheduled tasks and systems (MDMS), using
the information exchanged
monitors for power cellular networks as the
on the smart grid system
outages or other alarm communications medium
conditions
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6. Core Business Partners and Partnerships
METERS
NETWORKS
TECHNOLOGY
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7. Comparisons of AMI Networks
Cellular Network (3G) RF Mesh Network
Advantages Advantages
-a reduction of the costs by not -it can be easily scaled to include
having to build out an entire network millions of end points
-because what future applications -can be installed very quickly
smart grid may require is uncertain, -offer multiple redundant communica
leveraging cellular networks provides Competition tions paths throughout the network
the flexibility to add applications and Getting Disadvantages
without adding infrastructure. Intense -due to its higher latencies, may not be
Disadvantages sufficient to handle future Smart Grid
-carrier networks are not specialized applications.
in machine-to-machine area
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8. Reference: Various AMI Networks and Characteristics
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9. Citations
English
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/10-reasons-why-utilities-want-to-use-public-networks/
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/smartsynch-raises-25m-for-the-cellular-smart-grid/
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/grid-net-goes-cellular-with-smartsynch/
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/consumers-energy-picks-smartsynch-for-1.8m-
meter-deployment/
THE SMART GRID IN 2010: MARKET SEGMENTS, APPLICATIONS AND
INDUSTRY PLAYERS
Japanese
http://anstechbizreviewj.blogspot.com/2010/08/blog-post.html
http://ippei.posterous.com/smartgrid-smartsynch-silver-springs
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