(Mojio Photo)

Mojio, a Vancouver, B.C. startup that aims to connect cars to the internet, has raised a $23 million funding round, with participation from Amazon’s Alexa fund.

Mojio provides a cloud-based platform and teams up with network operators that make hardware that can plug into a car’s diagnostic port, turning any vehicle into a connected car and WiFi hotspot. The company said it has worked with T-Mobile through its SyncUp Drive program as well as major carriers in Canada, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

This round was led by Canadian investment firm Kensington Capital Partners. The Alexa Fund has invested in the company in previous rounds, and Mojio has an Alexa skill that lets users learn about their car via voice commands.

“The Mojio skill for Alexa lets customers simply use voice to track vehicle location, trip distance and fuel levels,” Paul Bernard, director of the Alexa Fund said in a statement. “By unlocking data insights from the car, we see opportunity for Mojio to continue innovating with Alexa to bring customers more delightful voice-powered experiences.”

Mojio says it has connected more than 500,000 cars already, and will use the funding to team up with more network operators around the world.

Some of the common uses of the platform include getting notifications about maintenance issues, monitoring vehicle location, tracking mileage on business trips and getting roadside assistance.

Mojio said it plans to have about 100 employees spread across offices in Vancouver B.C.; Palo Alto, Calif.; and Sofia, Bulgaria by the end of next year.

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