April 5, 2013—Optical component manufacturer QD Vision (Lexington, Mass., U.S.A.) announced on March 29th the closing of a $20-million round of financing to ramp up production of its Color IQ optical components for liquid-crystal display (LCD) applications. The increased production capacity has been a focus of the company since the announcement of Sony as the first Color IQ customer, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Also at the CES show, Sony unveiled some new 2013 “Bravia” LCD TV models that integrate the Color IQ technology.
Said Jason Carlson, QD Vision CEO, “I appreciate the continued strong support of our investors, as we aggressively expand our high-volume manufacturing operations and continue to build the global QD Vision team.”
Color IQ is a quantum-dot semiconductor nanocrystal technology that efficiently intensifies the reds, blues and greens in LCDs. Conventional LCD TV designs have typically sacrificed color quality for efficiency, typically delivering only 60 percent to 70 percent of the NTSC color standard. Color IQ increases typical LCD color performance by up to 50 percent, and can meet 100 percent of the NTSC standard, according to the company. Color IQ works with LCD applications including LCD TVs, LCD monitors and mobile displays, providing vivid color performance and improved system efficiency.
The funding will also help long-term company growth. This latest round of financing includes support from all existing investors—North Bridge Venture Partners, Highland Capital Partners, In-Q-Tel, DTE Energy Ventures, Passport Capital, Novus Energy Partners and Capricorn Investment Group.
“Color IQ delivers a far more immersive viewing experience, and will change the way consumers see televisions and ultimately other LCD displays,” said Jamie Goldstein of North Bridge Venture Partners. “We look forward to seeing the products in the market place.”