The Israeli company behind the development of Microsoft's Kinect technology has raised $50 million (£31.76 million) funding this month to develop new motion and voice control technologies for gaming and entertainment use.
Israeli business news outlet Globes, reports that the new investment in PrimeSense comes from Silver Lake and existing investors Gemini, Genesis and Caanan Partners, bringing total investment in the company to $79 million (£50.18 million).
No plans to sell out
PrimeSense president Aviad Maziels said that the company does not want to sell out and wants to remain independent and part of the Israeli economy.
"We constantly get acquisition offers, but we want to be part of an industry in Israel and we don't intend to be easily sold," Maziels said.
PrimeSense is focused on developing new tech which allows users to control their computers, games consoles and mobile devices using voice and physical gestures, instead of traditional keyboard or controller input.
Motion-controlled entertainment
The company hopes to expand from 50 employees to 80 in 2011, following this latest round of investment.
PrimeSense is also currently developing a number of partnerships with PC and entertainment companies, the details of which we hope to hear more about very soon.
Microsoft has already sold well over eight million Kinect units since launch last November – considerably in excess of its original sales targets.
