What Display Daily Thinks: Appotronics has about 521 people in research and development (R&D), and they may be stretched a little thin across automotive, laster projection, and laser microdisplays, but the company has a solid, growing patent portfolio in automotive, and some traction. The company may not get the same press as bigger players, but it is worth keeping an eye on in the coming year.
China accounts for nearly a third of the global intelligent cockpit market of $68.1 billion. I don’t think it is out of the remit of this publication to say that the headlamp technology component of Appotronics’ business is a nice juxtaposition with the display side of that segment. The automotive segment probably affords display manufacturers a few synergies to exploit in integrating or aligning with non-display technologies, such as lighting.
If 2023 shapes up to be as good for Appotronics as 2022, it will be interesting to see how that impacts the company financially, and which OEMs sign up in automotive. While Appotronics has other divisions and products, it is automotive that is the key to its future.
Appotronics’ Financial Health
China-based Appotronics released its 2022 financial report, showing a 1.72% increase in revenue to 2.54 billion yuan ($350 million). Appotronics experienced steady growth, with the focus for 2023 on expanding the automotive business and working towards strategic goals.
Despite being a new player in the automotive industry, Appotronics leveraged its expertise to quickly establish and implement its automotive business. Within a year, the company obtained the IATF 16949:2016 international automobile quality management system certification and secured partnerships with car manufacturers such as BYD and SERES.
During the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition and CES 2023, Appotronics showcased automobile-grade colored laser headlights and immersive in-car digital interaction solutions, such as exterior window displays, in-car transparent displays, rollable large screen projection, and smart surface displays. Notably, BMW featured the i Vision Dee concept car at CES, which incorporated Appotronics’ core components in its four window fusion display.
Appotronics has focused on developing three major product lines: automotive displays, laser headlights, and head-up displays (HUD). The company has capitalized on the advantages of its ALPD laser display technology and has prioritized the expansion of its automotive technology patent portfolio, with a significant increase in patent authorizations and applications. The company has obtained 81 new authorizations and patent applications related to automotive display technology in the last year, up 326.32% YoY; the cumulative number of authorized and applied patents was 148, up 82.72% YoY.
