QD Laser Maker Secures $13M

Innolume, a maker of quantum dot (QD) -based lasers and laser modules, said it has secured approximately $13.3 million (€8.6 million) after a Series C funding round led by S-Group Capital Management.

Innolume, which has facilities in Santa Clara and Dortmund, said it will use some of the funds for high volume manufacturing and marketing of its QD (semiconductor crystals) laser diodes and modules covering the 1000 to 1320 nm range for telecommunications, industrial, and medical applications.

It will also use some of the money to continue development of its comb laser, a single laser diode that can provide hundreds of stable lasing lines for WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) optical interconnects in computer applications, and related photonic integrated circuits, in cooperation with semiconductor companies.

"The race is on to reduce the cost of optical solutions for short reach interconnects to the level needed by high volume, mainstream computing applications," said Innolume CEO Juergen Kurb. "Our vision is to enable high-density, low-cost wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) transmission by using a single light source for all wavelengths -- Innolume's comb laser."

Also participating in the funding round were new investors Applied Ventures LLC and existing investors NRW Bank, Peppermint Financial Partners, S-VentureCapital Dortmund, Robert Young, and Kurb.

This funding round follows the $10 million B round in 2006 led by NRW Bank and the $6.8 million A round in 2003 led by PolyTechnos Venture Partners.

For more information, visit: www.innolume.com