Venture Capital

Here’s news for people who monitor the economy for coming trends: Barcodes make a hot investment.

The latest evidence is a $5 million cash injection to one mobile barcode company. Raising $5 million in funding isn’t so startling, but what is striking are reports that the round was actually oversubscribed — a far cry from the dull tenor of investment news over the past couple of years. And also, the latest funders to throw their hats in the barcode ring include Motorola Solutions Venture Capital and Hudson Ventures, along with existing private investors. Not bad!

More than just an investment, the deal points to the growth of the market as a whole. As much of the coverage around this investment has pointed out, there was a 1,600 percent rise in barcode scanning just last year, and we may be just scratching the surface. The newest show of faith — as in millions of dollars in investment — may be the signal that more companies are looking to leverage mobile barcodes and to get in on the action.

Venture capitalists have long been a bellwether of market growth. In the case of mobile barcode technology, this may not be just another sign of the maturing of this market, but also a milestone in the recognition of evolving consumer habits. We can’t wait to see some of the incredible developments that increased investments in the bright minds of this market will bring to the way we use barcodes.