Jenoptik Reorganizes Business Units: Week in Brief: 04/01/22

Jenoptik is combining its core photonics business in two new divisions, the company reported in its 2021 annual report press release: Advanced Photonic Solutions and Smart Mobility Solutions. The former Light & Optics and Light & Production divisions will merge into the new Advanced Photonic Solutions division, while nonphotonic activities, particularly for the automotive market, will separate as Non-Photonic Portfolio Companies and will be managed as independent brands. The former Light & Safety division will become the Smart Mobility Solutions division. The two new divisions focus on the three core markets of semiconductor and electronics, life science and medical technology, and smart mobility.

ZURICH — Quantum technology company Terra Quantum AG extended its Series A funding round to $75 million. The capital will go toward strengthening the company’s data cryptography and cybersecurity offerings. The company also released research detailing the underlying mechanism of ferroelectric-based negative capacitance.

CARDIFF, Wales — The Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC) and consortium partners won £1.5 million (~$1.97 million) from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of the U.K.’s efforts to develop homegrown telecom technology and diversify 5G and future-generation networks. The DCMS Future Random Access Networks Competition, known as FRANC, is the first of a number of homegrown 5G infrastructure development interventions, and it funds 15 consortia in this round. The project, called Scalable Optical Fronthaul for 5G OpenRAN, is led by Rushmere Technologies Ltd. Other consortium members include BT, Aston University, and TerOpta Ltd.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Earth imaging technology company Pixxel closed a $25 million Series A funding round led by Radical Ventures. The funding enables the company to expedite production of a high-resolution hyperspectral satellite constellation geared toward offering AI-powered insights that discover, solve, and predict climate issues at a fraction of traditional satellite costs.