The “internet of things” continues to grow rapidly as everything from industrial equipment to common household appliances get brought into the cloud. Seebo Interactive Ltd., an emerging software provider based in Tel Aviv, may help accelerate the trend even further.

The startup today announced that it has raised $8 million in funding for its namesake platform, which lets manufacturers add internet-enabled features to their hardware during development. At the heart of the software is a modeling toolkit that provides the ability to augment the 3D blueprint of a system using drag-and-drop controls.

Companies can draw on a virtual component library built into Seebo’s platform for the parts they need. The catalog includes digital representations of sensors for tracking heat, pressure and other operational factors, as well as various prepackaged programming components. This latter set of building blocks is aimed at easing the development of the software that powers a connected device.

A complementary rule-based editor enables engineers to define how the machine should behave. A generator, for example, could be configured to alert maintenance personnel if it starts to overheat. A home appliance maker might create a companion app to let users control their devices while they’re away from home.

From there, Seebo said, a built-in simulation tool makes it relatively easy to test that a system operates as expected in different situations. The startup’s platform also provides project management capabilities to help companies turn their virtual prototype into a functioning products.

Seebo will invest the new capital in developing yet more features. Additionally, the startup plans to put resources into fostering several recently signed strategic partnerships that are set to be made public at a later date.

The financing was provided by TPY Capital, Viola Ventures, Pritzker Group Venture Capital and Japan’s Global IoT Technology Ventures. It’s an extension to a $16.5 million round that Seebo closed earlier this year.

The new capital infusion follows hot on the heels of a rival called Ayla Networks Inc. closing a $60 million investment. It sells a platform that promises to ease the implementation of the software features needed to manage and secure connected devices. Ayla’s offering also lets manufacturers analyze the data generated by customers’ deployments, a capability that Seebo provides as well alongside its core prototyping features.

Image: Seebo