Dutch
nanophotonic imaging company eyeo has raised €40 million in a Series A funding
round led by Innovation Industries, with participation from existing investors
imec.xpand, Invest-NL, Qbic, High-Tech Gründerfonds and Brabant Development
Agency. The funding brings the company’s total capital raised to €55 million.
Founded
to commercialise technology developed at imec, eyeo develops nanophotonic
colour-splitting technology for image sensors used in smartphones, industrial
systems, XR devices, smart cities, and autonomous applications.
The
company’s NCOS® platform replaces conventional colour filters, which block a
large portion of incoming light, by splitting and directing light to individual
pixels, improving light sensitivity, colour accuracy, and image resolution.
Compatible with existing CMOS sensor platforms, the technology also enables
ultra-compact sub-micron pixels for high-performance imaging applications.
According
to co-founder and CEO Jeroen Hoet, the funding will support eyeo’s transition
from technology development to scaled commercial delivery:
Every modern device that sees the world, from smartphones
to autonomous systems, is held back by the same 50-year-old constraint. eyeo
removes it at the source. Our technology is proven, patented and validated at a
commercial foundry, with tier one customers already engaged.
The
operation also benefits from support from the European Union under the InvestEU
Fund.
eyeo
plans to use the funding to expand its in-house engineering capabilities,
strengthen partnerships with OEM customers, and accelerate the commercial
deployment of its imaging technology. The company will also invest in
next-generation 3D-stacked CMOS image sensors and grow its IC and system
architecture teams.