[ad_1]
OTI Lumionics, an eye-catching startup out of Canada that helps device makers create seamless, full-view displays on their devices with “notches,” or cutouts for camera technology — and whose name is associated with Apple as a key supplier of the future’s ill-fated iPhone — has secured $55 million in funding.
The money will be used to put the technology into production with several partners and to develop a secondary operation carried over from the original: a “quantum and AI-based computing platform” that OTI has built on its own success in display devices, and so the plan is to produce that and other technologists and engineers. It will help them solve their own thorny material science controversies.
The funding comes from a mix of strategic and financial backers that address the current business footprint, including: LG Technology Ventures, Samsung Venture Investment Corp., UDC Ventures (the venture arm of United Display Corp.), Anzu Partners and Family. Lee Lau’s office – LG, Samsung and UDC are some of the big names in display technologies. Places where the display materials may appear in the coming years include smartphones, tablets, laptops, AR and VR headsets, televisions, and possible automotive applications.
OLED screens have literally and figuratively changed the game, with brighter and more contrasting colors, and better responsiveness, all to improve the experience in visual-oriented experiences like gaming and more.
But when one of the weaknesses in their structure is used, typically in full-screen situations, manufacturers have had to create “notches” or other dark areas to share that real estate with cameras and other technologies like Face ID. A challenge that becomes even more complex when considering how and where new technologies will be used in the future (automotive windshields, for example, are a place where obstructing the field of view will not work at all). This meant that there were limitations in introducing soft screens such as Touch ID.
OTI’s discovery is a new material and approach it calls CPM Patterning, which allows cathode display technology to be combined with sensor technology in a consistent pattern, so that the screen essentially integrates with the functions of cameras or other sensors, creating a more efficient process that uses less power, he said. According to OTI CEO and President Michael Helander, the process of bringing the material is something that he could not do without building and using his own algorithms based on quantum computing – this is the platform. Looking to produce alongside this special material. According to Helander, the platform will work using “common hardware” with limited computing from third-party quantum companies such as D-Wave.
In addition to developing the design, the company is in the process of testing the production method and qualifying it with manufacturers, which means that a long step to bring a new product to the market has already passed and OTI technology is “production ready.” And if the name OTI rings a bell, you’ll remember that it was named a key partner of Samsung in a report earlier this year, and other reports alleging the two were working on building screens using the technology in the future. Apple iPhone generation.
This is a long game. In an interview, Helander wouldn’t comment on customers or where we’ll first see OTI technology, saying it’s still unlikely to make it to consumers’ hands for a few years.
Although hardware companies are known to build and buy IP technology all the time, there’s an exciting opportunity here for more simple startups that fix and fix very specific problems, he said.
A company like Samsung says it has made a few acquisitions in materials science startups, but the challenge is if a device maker buys from a single manufacturer because of the time and work involved. [but not another], or changes the strategy, then the entire supply chain can change. It’s a big investment and it’s risky, so you’ll see a lot of cases where showrunners are investing to support and even co-invest in smaller companies. Even if they want to have complete exclusivity, it can be beneficial for everyone to support them.
According to Robert McIntyre, MD of LG Technology Ventures, the platform that closed the deal to invest in OTI on display material alone opens the door to further collaboration in the future.
“OTI at its core has a material discovery engine that we think is exceptionally powerful, using simulation using AI and quantum computing to reach previously undiscovered material endpoints,” he said. “What makes the company unique is that it understands the importance of bringing applications to market.”
[ad_2]
Source link