Siimpel Corp., a maker of optics technology for cellphone cameras that has raised nearly $60 million in venture backing, has closed a new funding round from the American subsidiary of Japan's largest wireless carrier, NTT Docomo Inc., and several existing backers.

Joining Docomo in the funding round were previous backers Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Zone Ventures, Portage Venture Partners, Scale Venture Partners and SunAmerica Ventures. Further details about the round, including an amount and a valuation, were not disclosed.

Other investors in Siimpel include Global Catalyst Ventures, Qualcomm and Micron Technology.

Based in Arcadia, Calif., and launched in 2000 under the name SiWave, the company changed its name to Siimpel in 2005 and told VentureWire last year that it expected to be profitable in 2008 or 2009.

Executives at Siimpel could not immediately be reached on Monday.

The company makes micro-electronic mechanical systems, or MEMS, that enable the various components in cellphone cameras to work together. MEMS enable cameras to function well even as they get smaller with each "generation" of mobile phone, company materials said.

Docomo President and Chief Executive Tomoya Hemmi said the company's MEMS technology gives handset designers more flexibility because it scales easily and does not hog much-needed power and bandwidth.

Siimpel told VentureWire last year that it was shipping its products, but the company has not revealed its customers.

http://siimpel.com