AirWatch Raises $25M to 'Accel'-erate MDM

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AirWatch, an Atlanta-based provider of enterprise mobile device management (MDM) products, is hoping that some added funding will cement its position as the BYOD company to beat.

Shortly after launching AirWatch Professional, a cloud-based MDM offering for small and midsized businesses (SMBs), the company is turning its attention back toward expanding its market presence. The fast-growing technology startup announced today that it had raised an additional $25 million from Accel Partners, which will count toward its hefty Series A haul.

In February, AirWatch announced that it had banked $200 million in a round of Series A financing. The funds are earmarked to help advance and market its Secure Content Locker collaboration platform and acquire other companies.

Echoing the IT industry’s fervor for mobile-friendly collaboration and management solutions, Accel partner Ryan Sweeney suggested in press remarks that backing AirWatch is a sure bet. “We believe that enterprise mobility currently represents the next big secular technological shift we will encounter, and AirWatch has emerged as the dominant company in this increasingly important category,” he stated.

AirWatch’s mushrooming client roster backs up Sweeney’s assertions.

At last count, the company has been signing up over 500 clients each month. Its Enterprise Mobility Management platform is in use by “four of the top five global Fortune companies” and “six of the top 10 global airlines,” claims the company.

The MDM startup has also inked some big enterprise and government contracts. Notable clients include Lowe’s, United Airlines, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Skanska, PepsiCo, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Best Buy and Abbott Laboratories. The company is also partnered with several IT heavyweights, including Cisco and IBM.

Accel’s involvement brings some bi-coastal flair to the proceedings, according to AirWatch CEO John Marshall. “Accel Partners and Insight Venture Partners recognize the massive potential of this space, and we are excited to partner with the best growth investors from both coasts,” he said in a statement.

Insight Venture Partners, which led the $200 million deal earlier this year, is based in New York City. Accel hails from Palo Alto, the heart of Silicon Valley.

“Both firms have been collaborative, and we look forward to leveraging Insight’s resources and Accel’s network and expertise as our rapid growth presents new opportunities for the business,” added Marshall.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Datamation and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.