Little Printer maker Berg raises $1.3M, launches cloud platform for connected devices

Love it or hate it, the Little Printer just won’t die.

Berg, the company that designed the novelty gadget, announced today that it has raised $1.3 million in funding from Connect Ventures, Initial Capital, and Index Ventures. The company is officially launching its “Berg Cloud” connected tech platform to the public, and it’s also transitioning away from its design firm roots.

The Little Printer, a tiny $259 gadget that can print short social media updates and pictures, was more a proof of concept than a full-fledged product. It helped to get Berg’s name out there, but given its high price and relatively low utility, it’s not a product I’d recommend anyone buy.

But with the Little Printer Berg proved it could build a platform to push data to connected devices. It’ll be interesting to see if the company’s platform can find its way to a future hit device.

“Our mission with BERG Cloud is to make it as easy to develop hardware as it is to develop for the web,” said Berg CEO Matt Webb in a statement. “BERG Cloud provides solutions to the common problems of connected devices, allowing you to focus on what matters: product innovation and delightful user experience. We built this platform to make it easier for our own designers to invent and operate connected products themselves. Now we are making it available to everyone.”