KaiOS raises $50M, hits 100M handsets powered by its feature phone OS

While Android and iOS have locked up the market for smartphone operating systems, a feature phone platform that has the distinction of being the world's third biggest mobile OS is announcing a hefty round of funding to continue its expansion. KaiOS, which makes the OS that powers devices like Nokia's feature phones and Jio's devices out of India, has raised $50 million from Cathay Innovation (which led the round) and previous investors Google and TCL Holdings. The funding takes the total raised by KaiOS -- which has now shipped 100 million devices across 100 countries -- to $72 million.