EDINBURGH-based smart antenna designer Sofant Technologies has secured €1.97 million (£1.54m) of European funding, to fund its drive to make its technology available to major mobile phone manufacturers such as Apple.

Sofant said the investment would be used to take its patented technology to market, potentially doubling the battery life of mobile devices and reducing antenna energy usage greatly.

The company said it hoped, with the funding, to make the product available to phone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung by 2018.

The funding is part of the €3 billion Horizon 2020 SME Instrument programme,

Sofant noted its technology had been born out of a £1m space programme to develop miniaturised satellites.

The company was founded by Ahmed El-Rayis, Nakul Haridas and Tughrul Arslan. Incorporated in 2011, Sofant was spun-out from the University of Edinburgh following seven years of research and development.

Mr El-Rayis, who is chief operating officer, said: “We have been researching and planning this project for 10 years to perfect the design. This funding will enable us to take the product to foundry and we’re currently asking for tenders.

“We’re very excited about this new funding and see it as a real opportunity to impact on the future direction of the global smart phone industry and to create a market-leading company."