Purple Labs Names Simon Wilkinson CEO

Purple Labs, a leading supplier of embedded Linux solutions for the wireless industry, announced today the appointment of Simon Wilkinson as chief executive officer of the company.

Previously Wilkinson was founder and CEO of Magic4, a market leading provider of messaging solutions to wireless terminal manufacturers. He took Magic4 through all stages of development, from venture capital fundraising to the recruitment and management of a senior team of industry professionals to a global organization of 150 people located in offices in the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Hong Kong, France and India. Magic4 was acquired by Openwave in 2004. In 2002, Wilkinson was personally recognized as the Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year.

‘It is a pleasure to join Purple Labs at this pivotal time in the company’s strategic growth,” commented Wilkinson. ‘Purple Labs has successfully developed a powerful software platform and established its credibility in the wireless marketplace. We are now primed to grow the company operationally and commercially in order to achieve ambitious milestones.”

Wilkinson will recruit a number of proven individuals to round out the existing Purple Labs team, creating a formidable team with the collective experience and expertise necessary to accomplish the company’s aggressive growth plans.

Purple Labs recently announced the closing of a $14.5 Million USD (10.5 Million €) round of venture capital funding. The financing was led by Sofinnova Partners (Paris), Earlybird (Munich) and Partners Group (Zurich).