$38m · Series A · Telecom · The Hague, Netherlands
Braid founder and CEO Jignesh Dave. Image: Braid, via KPN Ventures.
Braid, a platform that lets enterprises add branded mobile connectivity to their own products, has raised $38m in Series A funding. Octopus Ventures led the round, with KPN Ventures participating. The company says this is its first external capital since launching in 2023 and that it is profitable and cash-flow positive.
From telecom procurement to product infrastructure
Braid, formerly Next Communications, sells the orchestration layer between enterprise products and mobile networks. Through one API, software teams can embed SIM and eSIM services in an app, while commercial teams can launch a branded storefront without building telecom infrastructure. The company says its platform connects to more than 600 carriers across over 200 countries, and that a live trial can start in three minutes while a branded mobile offer can launch in as little as a week.
That compression of setup time is the commercial mechanism behind the pitch. A travel company can bundle connectivity into a booking, a fintech can attach it to a loyalty programme, and a sports organisation can keep its service inside the fan's existing relationship. Braid handles provisioning, billing and carrier coordination behind the scenes; the enterprise retains the customer-facing brand and can share in connectivity revenue. The model therefore competes less with a consumer eSIM shop than with the months of procurement, carrier negotiations and regulatory work required to assemble a connectivity offer directly.
The company says it now serves close to 90 enterprise customers, including global fintech and travel brands. Its operating history also matters: founder and CEO Jignesh Dave previously ran a mobile virtual network operator for seven years, then rebuilt the underlying infrastructure as an API-first platform. That gives Braid a body of carrier integrations and operational knowledge before taking institutional funding, although the next test is whether the platform can maintain service quality and compliance as customers expand across markets.
Braid plans to use the Series A to accelerate international expansion, deepen its carrier network and continue developing the infrastructure. KPN's participation adds a strategic telecom partner alongside Octopus Ventures' lead investment. The round gives Braid capital to extend coverage and distribution from a business that, according to the company, was already profitable rather than financing an unproven launch.
Sources checked:
KPN Ventures announcement · Braid / Next Communications website · Tech.eu Funding Explorer
