Wireless charging startup uBeam has released new information to prove its technology works
The data dump - which includes technical details but no product demo - comes during a time when another much-hyped startup, Theranos, has come under scrutiny for not delivering on its revolutionary promises. It would seem that uBeam aims to cut negative press off at the pass.
uBeam's technology works by converting electricity into sound waves which can then be "beamed" to a device - or multiple devices - at a set frequency. Transmitting electricity over the air is dangerous and some are skeptical that uBeam can actually deliver on its promises.
The new data, which was revealed exclusively to TechCrunch, offers details about the technology but is missing an actual demo of the product in action. uBeam claims it has applied for over 30 patents - of which six were granted - and has found the frequency at which electricity can be transmitted safely. However, without a demo the information is interesting, but academic.
TechCrunch reports that uBeam is valued at around $500 million (£330 million) with investment from Andreessen Horowitz, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, CrunchFund, Mark Cuban, and more. This means that uBeam is not quite on the same scale as Theranos, which has a valuation of around $10 billion (£6.6 billion), but the data dump does highlight the growing skepticism of the technology press towards startups that claim to be revolutionising the world.