Guidant Power, a provider of electrical safety, reliability, and training solutions, acquired Monroe Infrared Technology, a provider of ground-based inspections and thermography training. According to Guidant Power, the acquisition strengthens its capabilities in infrared thermography, aerial inspections, training services, and infrared technology.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Laser uranium enrichment company LIS Technologies Inc. closed its third consecutive oversubscribed funding round, raising $11.9 million. The round brings the company’s raised total to more than $47 million to date. The funding will allow the company to advance into its next stage of growth, which includes system engineering and integration and testing of its Test Demonstration Facility at its upgraded laboratories. The funding will also enable diversification of LIS' CRISLA technology into stable isotopes and medical isotopes, the company said.
MEUDON, France — Thales has initiated preliminary discussions with interconnect components manufacturer Radiall and Foxconn to explore the potential creation of an industrial capacity in the field of outsourced semiconductor assembly and test facility in France. The planned production capacity is more than 100 million systems-in-package per year by 2031. The companies expect the initiative to aggregate additional European industrial actors to sustain an investment of more than €250 million ($281.8 million) and ensure European leadership for the project.
Members of Astrolight’s workforce. Courtesy of Astrolight.
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Astrolight, a space communications company, closed a seed round at €2.8 million ($3.2 million) led by tech investor Balnord. This investment will support the continued development of Astrolight’s laser-based end-to-end communication platform that securely connects satellites to Earth. Earlier this year, Astrolight launched a Danish subsidiary to strengthen collaboration across the Nordics and deliver laser communication solutions for space assets in the Arctic region.
MILPITAS, Calif. — KLA Corporation, a semiconductor process control and process-enabling technology company, opened a $138 million R&D and manufacturing center in Newport, Wales. The 237,000 sq ft facility provides additional production and customer collaboration spaces, including 25,000 sq ft of R&D cleanrooms, 35,000 sq ft of state-of-the-art manufacturing space, and tool demo areas. The spaces are designed to support the development of semiconductor process technologies across advanced packaging, power devices, microelectromechanical systems, radio frequency, and photonics sector technology.
SINGAPORE — GlobalFoundries plans to expand its capabilities in advanced packaging through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with the A*STAR, a Singaporean public sector R&D agency. The MOU follows a plan made earlier by GlobalFoundries in January 2025 to create an advanced packaging and photonics center for advanced packaging and testing of U.S.-made essential chips within its New York manufacturing facility.
Quantum Light closed a $1 million pre-seed round to expand its research capabilities in developing pigments. Courtesy of Quantum Light.
BERKELEY, Calif. — Quantum Light, a startup manufacturer of pigments and dyes, closed its pre-seed round at its maximum target of $1 million. Quantum Light uses quantum confinement to develop color-changing nanomaterials, and plans to use the funding to expand its research capabilities, grow its partnerships with global manufacturers, and bring its pigments to market. Capital firms including Venrex, the Oxford Seed Fund, Light Ray Ventures, and I2BF Global Ventures backed the round.
XREAL’s Project Aura device. Courtesy of XREAL.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — XREAL, an augmented reality company, entered into a partnership with Google to expand the ecosystem of spatial computing devices built on Android XR (extended reality). The collaboration also includes wireless technology company Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Project Aura uses XREAL's experience in lightweight XR hardware, the Android XR software stack, and Qualcomm Technologies' Snapdragon XR chipsets which are optimized for spatial computing.
CENTENNIAL, Colo., — NUBURU, Inc. formed a working group made by the management teams of NUBURU and Tekne S.p.A., a provider of integrated electronic warfare and cyber capabilities within military vehicles, as part of the planned acquisition. The group will also oversee R&D of advanced laser-tech-based solutions designed for defense applications. NUBURU said that it is awaiting approval from the Italian government under the “golden power” regulations, which oversee foreign investments in critical sectors aligned with national security interests, to acquire Tekne.
MARCHTRENK, Austria — Laser manufacturers Trotec Laser GmbH and eurolaser GmbH entered into a sales partnership. Both companies have expertise in the field of CO2 laser processing. Trotec makes systems for engraving, marking, and cutting in small and medium formats. eurolaser specializes in large-format, precise cutting of non-metallic materials. The partnership aims to provide customers with targeted advice and tailored solutions based on the market experience of both companies, which will remain autonomous and independent while leveraging synergies to boost sales activities.