(February 8, 2006) Sydney, Australia — CAP-XX Inc. has received Frost & Sullivan’s 2005 Technology Innovation of the Year Award in nanotechnology-enabled supercapacitors for research that led to a breakthrough nanotechnology process for producing thin and flat, or prismatic, supercapacitors to meet the pulse-power requirements of portable devices. This award goes to a company whose research is expected to bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture.
Category Archives: LEDs
February 6, 2006 – Spansion Inc., the former memory chip unit of AMD and Fujitsu, has formed an “Office of the CEO” to improve execution and efficiency following the company’s transition to a public entity.
The new structure is led by president and CEO Bertrand Cambou, Shinji Suzuki, EVP/president of Spansion Japan, and COO James Doran, formerly EVP of worldwide operations. Two top executives appointed to oversee the transition out of former parent AMD have left the company: CFO Steve Geiser, who will pursue other opportunities, and Rich Previte, EVP/CAO, who returns to retired life.
Responsibilities for the remaining executive officers of the company remain unchanged: Tom Eby (EVP/chief marketing/sales officer); Amir Mashkoori (EVP of wireless division), and Sylvia Summers (EVP, embedded memory division).
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Jan. 30, 2006 – Venture capitalists invested more than twice as much money in U.S. nanotechnology companies in 2005 than they did in 2004, according to a Small Times analysis released today.
The investment amount reflects the maturing of the first generation of nanotech startups that were founded earlier this decade, many of which raised large later stage rounds during 2005.
Nanotech funding hit $434.3 million for 2005, up 121 percent over the previous year’s $196.4 million. The year’s performance set a new record for nanotech funding, according to a Small Times analysis of the MoneyTree Survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Venture Economics and the National Venture Capital Association.*
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Actual funding activity measured by the number of deals that took place during the year was up more modestly, from 45 in 2004 to 51 in 2005.
The large funding figure was fueled by large later stage funding rounds throughout 2005. The year started out strong, led by Nano-Tex, the maker of nano-enabled fabric enhancements, raising $35 million and Aspen Aerogels, which makes thermal and acoustic insulators, raising $30 million.
Investors maintained pace in the second quarter, led by Nanosolar and Neophotonics, each of which raised $20 million. Large rounds tapered off somewhat in the third quarter before picking up again in the fourth, which featured the largest nanotechnology venture deal of the year, Nanosys’ $40 million round.
In the broader category of “small tech,” which encompasses nanotechnology, MEMS and microsystems, 2005 was the first year since 2001 that investors deployed more than $1 billion, investing $1.06 billion in 122 rounds. In 2004, by contrast, the category attracted $865 million in 126 rounds.
U.S. Nanotech VC Funding
| Year | No. of deals | Dollars invested |
| 1998 | 5 | $16.8 million |
| 1999 | 7 | $44.3 million |
| 2000 | 9 | $171.4 million |
| 2001 | 21 | $119.3 million |
| 2002 | 41 | $212.7 million |
| 2003 | 34 | $301 million |
| 2004 | 45 | $196.4 million |
| 2005 | 51 | $434.3 million |
* Small Times has a partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers under which it performs a quarterly analysis of the MoneyTree survey for the purposes of tracking funding in nanotechnology as well as the broader category of “small tech,” which includes nanotechnology, MEMS and microsystems. Research by David Forman.
January 26, 2006 – Nanometrics Inc., Milpitas, CA, is acquiring Accent Optical Technologies Inc., Bend, OR, in a stock deal worth approximately $80.9 million. The deal combines Nanometrics’ and Accent’s process control and metrology technologies.
Assimilating Accent will strengthen Nanometrics’ position in standalone metrology segments, particularly overlay metrology, “a market we are just beginning to penetrate,” as well as optical CD and non-metal thin film metrology, noted Heaton.
“Accent’s overlay, FTIR and wireless/high-brightness LED products are a tremendous complement to Nanometrics’ thin film and optical CD technology,” added Rhine.
The two companies had combined revenues of roughly $110 million for the twelve months ended in October. Nanometrics president and CEO John Heaton will retain those roles in the new company, with Accent chairman and CEO Bruce Rhine becoming chief strategy officer. Completion of the deal is expected in 1H06, pending both regulatory approval and nods from both companies’ shareholders.
January 25, 2005 – Edmund Optics Inc., Barrington, NJ, has unveiled an illumination delivery technology to increasing illumination brightness in LEDs as well as their lifetimes.
The patent-pending optical technology, EOS, used in conjunction with an LED, more effectively directs light into a tightly focused and manageable bundle of light, minimizing thermal concerns that impact the life of the chip, the company claims. The technology could make LEDs 2x-5x brighter than quartz halogen and last 20x-50x longer, according to Chris Cummings, R&D engineer at Edmund Optics. John Stack, president and COO, added that the technology “will be applicable to future developments at the source/die level.”
The first product to use the technology is a LED fiber optic illuminator for the industrial vision market, available in 2Q06. Other end-use applications include improved LEDs in automotive headlamps, scientific instrument lighting, infrared military illuminators, surgical headlamps, and portable projector systems.
January 18, 2006 – Hitachi Ltd., Toshiba Corp., and Renesas Technology Corp. have officially set up a planning company to determine the feasibility of a joint semiconductor foundry for producing system LSI products based on 65nm and below process technologies.
Advanced Process Semiconductor Foundry Planning Co. Ltd., established with ¥100 million funding (about $860,000) with plans to add another ¥100 million in March, will be led by Hirokazu Hashimoto, former VP of NEC Electronics Corp. Hitachi is the lead owner with 50.1% share, followed by Toshiba (33.4%) and Renesas (16.5%).
The three companies are expected to finish their feasibility evaluation within six months, at which point they will determine whether to go forward with the joint foundry, which could cost more than ¥300 billion (US $2.6 billion).
Jan. 18, 2006 — NanoGram Corp., a developer and licensor of core process technology enabling the manufacture of nanostructured materials for optical, electronic and energy applications, announced that it has raised $18.7 million in a new round of financing.
The round was led by Technology Partners and included all existing NanoGram investors: ATA Ventures, Nth Power Technologies, Bay Partners, Harris & Harris Group, Rockport Capital Partners, Institutional Venture Partners and SBV Venture Partners.
The company said the new funding will be used to expand efforts in optical nano-composites and applications of nanomaterials in energy products, and to pursue innovations in electronic materials and composite structures for imaging applications.
Thorp has worked in digital printing for 17 years, including more than 10 years in senior positions at digital printing consultancies such as Pivotal Resources, CAP Ventures, and IT Strategies. She has also held senior management positions at Xaar plc, where she was Head of Group Marketing; and AIP ltd, where she led the business development function of this joint venture between The Technology Partnership and Research Laboratories of Australia.
“Europe represents over 25% of our turnover, so opening an office here is an essential move to support our growing customer base,” states R. Bruce Morgan, iTi’s CEO. “Cambridge is an ideal location, given its status as a center of inkjet development and innovation in Europe, and the appointment of Debbie to our management team demonstrates our strong commitment to our international customers.”
Jan. 16, 2006 – NanoProducts Corp., a Longmont, Colo., maker of nanoscale materials, announced it intends to expand its nanoscale material manufacturing and marketing capability following a $16.4 million investment.
The investment was led by Koch Nanomaterials Inc., a subsidiary of Koch Genesis Co. LLC. Koch Nanomaterials became a majority owner of NanoProducts in the deal. Southern California Gas Co. also recently increased its investment, the company said. NanoProducts’ line of performance materials includes metal oxide, non-oxide and formulated, functionalized compositions.
Jan. 4, 2006 — New York Governor George Pataki announced on Tuesday additional details about the new Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery and Exploration (INDEX) that will be located at the Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics at the University at Albany.
As part of the effort, a new 250,000 square foot building will be constructed at the Albany Center of Excellence, according to an Albany Nanotech release. It will include a new 100,000 square foot clean-room wing. The center was announced in December by the Semiconductor Industry Association and the Semiconductor Research Corporation, along with a second center, the Western Institute of Nanoelectronics, in California.
The INDEX consortium is led by SUNY University at Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and includes Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Yale University.
The institute will focus on nanotech research, including the development of nanomaterials, fabrication technologies, and new chip designs. It will partner with leading researchers from consortium members and with on-site corporate researchers from leading semiconductor companies such as Intel, Micron, AMD, IBM, Texas Instruments, and Freescale Semiconductor.
Total public and private funding for the project will reach $435 million, according to the release, with New York State committing $80 million in matching funds to help INDEX establish the scientific, technical and manufacturing infrastructure, as well as for workforce training. Funding is also to be provided by the federal government, semiconductor equipment manufacturers, and semiconductor material suppliers.
– David Forman