ams OSRAM Sells Traxon Technologies: Week in Brief: 05/20/22

Optical technology company ams OSRAM reached an agreement to sell its Traxon Technologies business to Prosperity Group, a privately owned lighting company based in Hong Kong. The transaction is part of ams OSRAM’s strategy to divest businesses that are not related to its core technology areas in illumination, visualization, and sensing, and the company will also continue to focus on the high-technology semiconductor business. Traxon is headquartered in Hong Kong and operates two major development hubs in China and Germany. Traxon is a provider of dynamic media and facade lighting solutions.

ITZEHOE, Germany — MEMS-based AR/VR display and 3D sensing technology company OQmented opened a location in Jena, Germany. The step supports the company’s strategic decision to develop its solutions as complete systems with optics as an integral component. The company said it expects to double in size by the end of the year. OQmented develops ultracompact laser beam scanning projectors for AR devices and 3D sensing solutions for mobile and stationary applications.

TOKYO — Idemitsu Kosan developed a light-emission system for OLEDs using blue fluorescent materials, a system that reportedly set the world’s highest performance record for luminous efficiency beyond the conventional theoretical limit. The system also extended the lifetime of the OLED devices. This achievement received the Distinguished Paper Award at Display Week 2022, held by the Society for Information Display.

JENA, Germany — In the future, Jenoptik’s industrial metrology portfolio will be presented under the brand name HOMMEL ETAMIC, and with a new market appearance. HOMMEL ETAMIC originated from the Hommelwerke, founded in 1876, and from the French metrology company ETAMIC, founded in 1947. Jenoptik has owned Hommelwerke since 2000 and Etamic since 2007. Both companies were merged within the Jenoptik Group.

OXFORD, England — Rockley Photonics completed its preliminary human study measuring hydration levels using its noninvasive biomarker sensing platform. The company also created a hydration index for reporting relative hydration levels, with the potential to simplify the complex process of measuring personal hydration. The study showed that a Rockley wearable device correctly predicted dehydration in human subjects 99% of the time and detected the normal state of body water content (euhydration) 82% of the time. Rockley also entered into definitive agreements with investors for an $81.5 million private placement of convertible senior secured notes and warrants.

SHEFFIELD, England — Aegiq, a quantum photonics spinout from the University of Sheffield, received investments from Black Quant, Quantum Exponential, and private angel investors. Combined with existing funding from Innovate UK and High-Tech Gründerfonds, the investments bring Aegiq’s total available funding to nearly £4 million ($5 million). Aegiq, which secured further funding from Innovate UK (part of UK Research & Innovation) this year, was previously awarded funding for several projects supported by Quantum Technologies Challenge, with total value of the funded consortia exceeding £20m ($25.01 million). The company’s technology is based on high-performance single-photon sources and enables a range applications in quantum communications, quantum computing, and quantum-enhanced imaging and sensing.

SAN FRANCISCO — Optivolt closed an $8.2 million seed funding round led by Atlas Innovate. Other participating investors were Social Impact Capital, Pure Ventures, City Light Capital, and Peter Relan. The round brings Optivolt’s total funding to $10.1 million. Optivolt’s solar technology delivers 25× more solar power in shaded environments than existing technology.

HAIFA, Israel — Elbit Systems of America was awarded a delivery order valued at $49 million for the supply of Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggle systems to the U.S. Marine Corps. The order will be supplied through September 2023. The additional order is part of a $249 million five-year indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract from September 2019.

Elistair was awarded a framework agreement by the DGA (French Armament General Directorate) for a supply of ORION 2 tethered UAVs. The ORION 2’s mission will be to secure the impact zone and collect images needed for analyzing land, air, and coastal operations. The tethered drones will significantly extend the current scope of surveillance, with detection capacities now covering a 10-km radius, even in poor weather conditions. Courtesy of Elistair.

LYON, France — Elistair was awarded a framework agreement by the DGA (French Armament General Directorate) for a supply of ORION 2 tethered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The DGA EM (DGA Missile Test Unit), a reference center in Europe for missile flight tests, selected the ORION 2 tethered UAV to reinforce its surveillance and observation system for the test areas. The contract was awarded to meet the requirements of DGA EM’s Landes and Mediterranean sites and the Mediterranean and Aquitaine flight test sites of DGA EV (DGA Flight Tests).

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — Kopin Corp., a provider of high-resolution microdisplays for AR and VR, received a follow-on order of its high-brightness AMLCD microdisplay for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. With the F-35 scheduled for production through 2030, Kopin expects additional orders over the life of the program. Kopin has been the sole supplier of microdisplays for F-35 pilot helmets since the program began. The current order is valued at approximately $4.8 million.