Sezmi Corp. announced that it has secured $33 million in additional funding. The news comes less than one week after the company said that it was cutting its workforce by 20 percent (story here).

"This round of funding enables us to put the final touches on product development and testing and bring the Sezmi service to market," said Buno Pati, co-founder and CEO of Sezmi.

The funding round includes new investments from Advanced Equities Inc . and others, and follow-on investments from previous investors Morgenthaler Ventures, Omni Capital Group, TD Fund and Legend Ventures.

Sezmi has said that it will reinvent television viewing with its set-top box that features a combination of Internet content and broadcast television.

Sezmi announced in mid-November that its two-month trial in Seattle was a success in terms of delivering video services with a combination of terrestrial digital broadcasts and broadband (story here).

Sezmi has said that it’s now launching technical trials in additional cities and preparing consumer trials in several unnamed markets around the country.

"The demand from consumers for an affordable and personalized television experience continues to increase," said Phil Wiser, Sezmi's co-founder and president. "In fact, we hear from consumers every day that they are looking for an alternative to meet these needs and that they are eagerly awaiting Sezmi. It is very gratifying that our vision is validated not just by consumers, but also by the investment community."

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