Technobis attracts financing to roll-out Integrated Photonic Sensing solutions
Active Capital Company (ACC), PhotonDelta and ABN AMRO support integrated photonic sensing market leader by providing financing to support growth.
Integrated photonics is a key enabling technology that provides unparalleled technological solutions to help solve scientific, economical and societal challenges. In line with these developments, Technobis is accelerating the commercialization of next generation, PIC-activated (Photonic Integrated Circuits) sensing systems and applications. In parallel, Technobis is building the world’s first high volume PIC back-end foundry packaging facility. The packaging facility provides Technobis with reliable and high volume PIC production capabilities for the production of sensing systems and applications as well as providing packaging services to the wider integrated photonic ecosystem.
Integrated photonic chips work with light particles (photons) instead of electricity (electrons). This makes integrated photonics not only more accurate and faster but also more economical and reliable than conventional electronic chips. The technology has a broad range of useful applications including multi-parameter sensing: for example, deformations in aircraft wings, landing gear load sensing, blade monitoring and shape sensing for minimal invasive medical instruments. These applications are not only commercially interesting, but also contribute to solving societal challenges such as passenger safety and affordable healthcare.
PhotonDelta, together with ABN AMRO, have committed over €7 million in financing to realise the growth ambitions of Technobis. The majority of the funding is used for the financing of development capex for application specific sensing solutions and investments in packaging equipment for the PIC back end foundry facility. The company recently sold a majority stake to Active Capital Company (ACC), a hands-on investor that will actively support Technobis in realizing its enormous potential.
Coen Michielsen (CFO of Technobis) comments: “Supported by ACC, PhotonDelta and ABN AMRO, Technobis is well positioned to scale-up and commercialise our unique proprietary integrated photonic sensing solutions”. Daan Koppen de Neve (newly appointed CEO of Technobis) adds: “We are confident that the integrated photonic ecosystem will benefit from these investments and we look forward to continue our cooperation and exciting journey with our partners.”
PhotonDelta, the Dutch public-private partnership, is supporting the integrated photonic ecosystem through its recently announced €236 million attracted funding. Joachim de Sterke (CFO of PhotonDelta): “Only commercialization will drive the growth to a mature and robust industry of integrated photonics. And that’s exactly what Technobis does. Their commercial traction and further acceleration as such enables growth throughout the entire integrated photonic ecosystem. They are in multiple ways a corner stone to our ecosystem and essential for the development of the entire supply chain. We are extremely proud to support Technobis and were able to take part in this growth financing consortia.”
