SigmaSense, the global leader in touch screen performance, announced the closing of $22 million in Series A funding led by Foxconn Technology Group with participation from strategic investors Corning, E Ink, GIS and MRI (managing partner of LG-MRI). Former Dell CFO Tom Meredith also participated in the round.
SigmaSense intends to leverage these strategic and investor relationships to make its touch solutions the preeminent standard in the high-growth $4.7 billion touch controller market—part of the larger $100+ billion global display market that spans from mobile phones and laptops to large interactive digital signage and whiteboards. This financing will speed the development of SigmaSense’s semiconductor and software solutions for a breakthrough generation of high-fidelity sensing data enabling new human-machine interactions.
Amidst a broader set of future applications, SigmaSense technology will show up everywhere—from in-person touchless order kiosks for the hospitality industry to home entertainment—including reimagined interactive at-home learning and work spaces. The COVID-19 health pandemic has created a strong market demand for touchless technology to mitigate human contact and safeguard health. SigmaSense technology will power all these scenarios and provide an infinite amount of vertical integration possibilities. These opportunities include sensing in automobiles, consumer devices, medical products and industrial applications.
“This financing, and the powerful syndicate behind it, provide a strong endorsement of SigmaSense’s technology breakthrough and the impact across market opportunities,” said Rick Seger, SigmaSense’s CEO. “Our team has spent years developing new touch experiences that outpace the market and will shift expectations across multiple multi-billion-dollar markets. From foldable phones to large-screen game tables, our new technology provides far better experiences.”
Breakthrough in Sensing Means Faster Speeds, Higher Performance and Better Experiences
SigmaSense enables all-new interactive user experiences with responsive controls on and above all surfaces, including non-display surfaces, at unprecedented speeds. The company’s SigmaDrive™ technology delivers 100X-1000X better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which translates directly to better performance, high-fidelity data and improved user experiences. SigmaHover’s touchless multi-layer interaction, which uses high hover and multidimensional sensing above the screen, is rapidly becoming an essential feature in a post-COVID world.
SigmaSense dramatically reduces overall system costs by rapidly supporting new sensor materials while greatly improving performance and responsiveness—making it ideal for gaming interactions. New conductive polymers can now be used for touch sensors in both small and large screens providing flexible touch screens and lower system costs. At the same time, noise tolerance further improves performance for tabletop and industrial applications, the type of products that benefit from Corning’s Gorilla Glass.
Investor Perspectives on SigmaSense Series A Funding Round
“SigmaSense is delivering an exciting new sensing technology and we look forward to bringing some of their amazing touch capabilities to our interactive ePaper displays,” said Johnson Lee, CEO at E Ink Holdings. “E Ink is devoted to strengthening its ePaper ecosystem. With the collaboration with SigmaSense, E Ink will be able to offer new technology to our customers to enhance their products.”
MRI, the world’s leader in outdoor digital signage through their joint venture, LG-MRI, said the reduced voltage and noise immunity properties of SigmaSense controllers are revolutionary for large-screen touch technology.
“We’ve been the leader in building ruggedized outdoor displays for years, but with the shift to interactive digital signage, all new opportunities are emerging,” said Bill Dunn, CEO of MRI. “SigmaSense performs reliably in rain, heat or cold, which is an extreme engineering challenge. Simply put, they have nailed it, by providing reliable sensing through thick, vandal-proof glass while wearing gloves.”
“Austin again proves itself as a fountain of creativity and innovation with the emergence of SigmaSense providing a new way of sensing to the world,” said Tom Meredith, partner at Brightstar Capital Partners.
SigmaSense recently opened its new headquarters in north Austin and has a strong development team in Boise, Idaho. The company also maintains a customer and engineering support operation in Taiwan and is an active member of the Silicon Catalyst network.
About SigmaSense LLC
SigmaSense, the global leader in touch sensing performance, is bringing the best user experiences to products ranging from mobile phones and laptops to large monitors and digital signage. We are pioneering a comprehensive sensing technology that delivers 100 to 1000 times improved signal-to-noise performance that was previously not possible. SigmaVision™ capacitive imaging technology provides touch, pressure and object detection to the sensing surface, enabling a new generation of perceptive devices that are interactive and engaging. SigmaHover™ provides a superior touchless experience for public displays as well as any other device that uses touch sensors. Headquartered in Austin, TX, SigmaSense provides semiconductor products with development tools and support.
