Smartkem has announced two major developments: a $7.65 million securities offering and a £900,000 ($1.13 million) Innovate UK grant, strengthening its position in the MicroLED display industry through a partnership with Taiwan’s AUO,
The collaboration, beginning in 2025, aims to develop the world’s first rollable, transparent MicroLED display using Smartkem’s MicroLED technology. Smartkem’s technology uses organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) processed at 80°C, compared to traditional methods requiring 300-400°C. This low-temperature capability enables direct transistor application over MicroLEDs, introducing a “Chip-First” display architecture.
The process eliminates manufacturing steps like mass transfer and laser welding, reducing production costs. The low-temperature processing allows the use of flexible plastic substrates instead of glass, enabling rollable, transparent displays.
Ian Jenks, Smartkem’s CEO, believes this collaboration could transform today’s high-end MicroLED TVs from $100,000 to mass market prices,” AUO’s CTO, Dr. Wei-Lung Liau, emphasized the partnership’s potential through combining Smartkem’s proprietary materials, ITRI’s OTFT production process, and AUO’s display expertise.
The project is further supported by the 2024 Taiwan-UK Research & Development program, which has invested over £10 million ($12.6 million) in various tech initiatives.
