Aledia, a MicroLED technology company based in Grenoble, France, has raised €80 million ($84.9 million) in funding to boost product development and to establish a MicroLED production facility in Champagnier, near Grenoble, in the upcoming two years. Aledia’s backers include: Braemar Energy Ventures, Demeter Investment Managers, Ecotechnologies fund managed by Bpifrance, Ingka Investments, Intel Capital, Sofinnova Ventures, Supernova Invest, TEL (Tokyo Electron), and Valeo. The company has also announced a change in its leadership. Pierre Laboisse has been appointed as the new CEO, succeeding Giorgio Anania, who will remain on Aledia’s board of directors. Prior to this role, Laboisse served as the executive vice president at ams Osram. The company has raised €15 million ($160 million) in the last five years.
Aledia, a spin-off from CEA-Leti founded in 2012, aims to transform the screen market using its unique 3D nano-crystal technology. Its method involves using gallium nitride nanowires on large-area silicon wafers. Presently, the technology is applied on 200 mm silicon wafers, with plans to expand to 300 mm wafers for increased production. CEA-Leti is one of the main semiconductor research organizations in mainland Europe, alongside the Fraunhofer IPMS and IMEC. Aledia’s technology is backed by 197 patent families, making it a leader among French startups in terms of patent filings. This technology offers high-quality displays that aim to outperform and be more cost-effective than existing LCD and OLED screens.
