Local startup snags S$7m in first-round funding from Tembusu Partners

SINGAPORE start-up GNum announced on Monday morning that it had secured S$7 million in seed funding from private equity firm Tembusu Partners.

GNum, a subsidiary of GlobalRoam Pte Ltd, allows voice calls to be made from virtually any electronic device, from PCs to mobile phones. Users on the receiving end of a call will not need to download any applications.

Its users adopt a "call handle", which is a personalised URL, that can be shared through text or image hyperlinks in email signatures, documents, Tweets, blogs and social media profiles.

GNum will use this round of funding to buy "related technologies" and for working capital purposes as it prepares for a nation-wide rollout in Singapore in the coming months. A launch in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia is also in the works.

While outgoing calls are free, local mobile users will have also access to 200 free incoming call minutes immediately, GNum said.