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17 Sep 2024
Netherlands startup reveals that the global materials giant is supporting its $10M-plus fundraising drive.
Morphotonics, the Eindhoven-based startup company working on a roll-to-plate process for printing tiny optical components, says that it is aiming to close a “$10 million-plus” round of venture funding by the end of this year, with materials giant 3M already pledging its support.
The company believes that its large-area nanoimprint technology - said to be capable of producing “trillions” of lenses - will unlock the potential of 3D displays, and make augmented reality (AR) smart glasses accessible to everybody.
Morphotonics also plans to deliver energy-efficient solutions for mobile devices, and redefine how people interact with display screens.
Alongside the local Brabant Development Agency (BOM), 3M has joined as a new investor in what is described as the “first closing” of the series B venture round at $10 million, adding to earlier support provided by the Dutch deep-tech fund Innovation Industries.
Jan Matthijs ter Meulen, the firm’s co-founder and CEO, said: “We are at the brink of major growth for applications like glasses-free 3D displays and smart AR glasses. With this new funding, we will strengthen our market and technical leadership and expand our impact on the consumer electronics and display markets.”
Roll-to-plate optics
Morphotonics specializes in large-area nanoimprint technology, and currently sells a suite of industrial tools utilizing roll-to-plate processes for mass production of tiny optical components on surfaces including glass, polymers, or metal.
The approach is said to benefit applications that are too costly to produce on a wafer scale, or that exceed the size limitations of a typical wafer.
If used as a permanent layer, the imprinted layer is also said to offer better optical performance, durability, and thermal stability compared with alternative film-based solutions.
“Our technology allows for features below one micrometer to be easily applied when the patterned layer is utilized as an etch mask, a capability that is not currently achievable with large-area photolithography tools,” claims the firm on its web site.
Established a decade ago by ter Meulen and Bram Titulaer, Morphotonics last year received a European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Grant to support its efforts to mass-produce AR waveguides with its nanoimprinting process.
The latest funding is expected to enable the company to scale its operations and supply chain and expand its global customer base - particularly in Asia. It should also help to position fully automated, large-area nanoimprinting as a standard in display optics production.
‘Trillions’ of lenses
Mark Copman, senior VP at 3M’s “New Growth Ventures” unit, said: “3M is excited about our investment in Morphotonics and the potential collaboration opportunity between our companies.
“Our investment in Morphotonics demonstrates 3M's dedication to enabling innovative technology that can drive advancements in the consumer electronics space.”
Ivana Sersic from BOM added: “The company works at the forefront of nanoimprint lithography and this investment not only fuels their existing work but also marks a significant step forward in supporting the widespread adoption of next-generation displays.”
Highlighting the funding round on its LinkedIn page, Innovation Industries suggested that as digital interactions become an essential part of everyday life, demand for superior visual experiences is growing rapidly.
“To address this, Morphotonics is advancing display technology that not only elevates visual quality but also optimizes energy efficiency,” it stated.
“As the leading global provider of large-area nanoimprint technology, Morphotonics is at the forefront of this transformation with its groundbreaking large-area roll-to-plate (R2P) nanoimprint technology and equipment solutions - including the ability to add trillions of lenses in an area greater than one square meter.”
Among Innovation Industries' other portfolio companies in the Dutch photonics ecosystem are the deep-blue organic LED developer BeeOLED, photonics packaging foundry Phix, pure-play indium phosphide wafer foundry Smart Photonics, photonic integrated circuit (PIC) transceiver maker Effect Photonics, and 3D-printed optics producer Luxexcel.
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