Founder Nigel Waller, who has spent more than two decades developing telecoms software, had the idea in 2008. "We can access email and cloud computing services from any PC in the world, so why can we not do the same with a phone?" he says. "Why does a phone number have to be tied to a phone?"

In May 2009, Movirtu raised its first round of financing with Gray Ghost DOEN Social Ventures Coöperatief, closely followed by the Grassroots Business Fund in September of that year. In November 2010, it secured a further $5.5m from TLcom Capital.

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