FUZE Technology Closes Funding Round to Grow IoT Charging and Advertising Network

FUZE Technology, an IoT company that deploys portable phone-charging stations as the foundation of a physical advertising network, has raised a new funding round. Terms were not disclosed. The company, founded in January 2018, operates two linked platforms: chargeFUZE, a network of portable charging units placed across venues and public spaces, and adFUZE, a digital out-of-home and connected TV advertising product launched in October 2023.

Per the company, the business model positions hardware utility as a mechanism for consumer engagement and first-party data collection, with advertising layered on top. chargeFUZE launched in August 2018 and expanded nationally between 2020 and 2022. adFUZE followed in the fourth quarter of 2023, extending the company into programmatic DOOH and connected TV inventory. The company describes itself as building "a global network of IoT utilities backed by data-driven advertising."

The leadership team includes co-founders Brandon Afari, who serves as CEO, and Ryan Levy, who serves as President. Chief Technology Officer Chan Nguyen previously served as lead engineer on the IPOs of Bird Global and ZipRecruiter, per the company.

Why it matters

The utility-plus-media model FUZE Technology is building reflects a larger structural shift in how brands seek access to consumer attention in physical spaces. By deploying hardware that solves a high-frequency, low-friction consumer need, the company creates both a reason for consumers to engage with the network and a captive-audience environment for advertisers. The logic closely parallels retail media, where proximity to a moment of need justifies premium ad rates and first-party data collection. For CPG and consumer brands evaluating out-of-home spend, venue-based networks that combine verified foot traffic with digital targeting capabilities are increasingly competing with traditional DOOH placements and social media buys. The addition of connected TV inventory deepens that proposition, giving brand partners a cross-screen story anchored in a physical touchpoint.

What to watch

adFUZE has been live for less than three years, and the central open question is whether the advertising platform can attract the brand-partner volume required to sustain continued hardware deployment. The dual-platform thesis depends on each side reinforcing the other: charging infrastructure drives audience scale, and audience scale supports ad pricing. If advertising revenue growth lags the cost of physical buildout, the economics of the model will face pressure regardless of further capital activity.

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Sources

• FUZE Technology: Powering Connectivity with Innovative IoT Solutions
• About FUZE Technology: Pioneers in IoT and Connected Services