As micro-LED technology gains importance in energy efficient screens used in AR/VR headsets, smart wearables and automotive applications, startup Mojo Vision is riding the wave.
The company announced a $43.5 million new Series A investment round in October backed by New Enterprise Associates, Khosla Ventures, and Vanedge Capital, among others. That announcement came six months after the company announced an initial Series A round of $22.4 million.
Moe Kermani, now on the board of Mojo Vision and managing partner of investor Vanedge Capital, said Mojo Vision has pioneered advancements in core micro-LED technology, design and manufacturing that place the company “in a strong position to dominate the market.”
Indeed, the micro-LED market is busy. Apple and partners, including Osram, have collaborated on the tech and Google snapped up startup Raxium. Yole Research said micro-LED development reached $8 billion as of a year ago. X Display was spun out of X-Celeprint in 2019 and is focusing on mass transfer printing, a process allowing scaling of micron-sized LEDs and large displays. X Display has 600 patents and offers enabling technology to other companies.
The list of micro-LED startups is seemingly very crowded, but the technology focus of the various companies differs and it is difficult to make direct comparisons. StartUs Insights recently listed 83 micro-LED startups. https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/5-top-micro-led-startups-impacting-the-electronics-industry/
Dr. Nikhil Balram, the CEO of Mojo Vision, said the company recently partnered with DigiLens to integrate its micro-LED technology with DigiLens’ next-generation surface relief gratings tech to optimize performance for future AR/XR glasses.
The company has developed novel proprietary High-Peformance Quantum Dot technology to pursue engineering of very small, very bright, very efficient RGB panels. Investment dollars will help Mojo Vision’s commercialization prospects, according to a company press release.
The company, based in Saratoga, Calif., started in 2015 and now has 35 full-time employees and works with contractors and multiple specialist semiconductor companies to develop micro-LEDs, which reduces the need to create a large expensive footprint so far, Balram told Fierce via email.
In 2019, Mojo Vision engineers developed the worlds smallest, densest micro-LED display for moving content. The company’s technology delivers tiny pixels with ultra-high brightness, but also with high efficiency in a slim form factor.
“The promise of micro-LEDs is to deliver more efficient, bright and durable displays with a broader range of colors,” he said.
Each pixel in a micro-LED display is an individual LED, which results in higher pixel density, offering superior resolution. “Micro-LEDs are incredibly energy efficient,” he said. In addition, Micro-LEDs are self-emissive and each pixel produces its own light to help reduce overall power consumption and strengthen lifespan.
“Micro-LEDs are known for their robustness and can withstand harsh conditions better than their counterparts,” he added. This means they are suitable for outdoor applications where they may be exposed to sunlight, dust and rain.
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