Chinese optical semiconductor maker raises $14m
Bosheng Guangdian, a Chinese optical semiconductor maker targeting the smart phone market, has raised RMB100 million ($14 million) from a group featuring Vision Knight Capital.
Legend Star, Hongtai Fund, a government-backed semiconductor specialist, and Leaguer Group, a Shenzhen-based incubator backed by Tsinghua University, also joined the extended Series A round. Earlier Series A investors include high-tech incubator TusStar, Qingsong Fund, and Summitview Capital.
Founded in 2018 by Ruihua Chang, an academician of the National Academy of Engineering in the US, Bosheng Guangdian develops vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL), a technology used in facial recognition and various computer applications. The new capital will be used to drive mass production and the development of new products.
VCSEL has been increasingly integral to the smart phone space in recent years, with Apple incorporating the technology into its iPhone X model in 2017 as a key component of the facial ID function. According to tech industry researcher TrendForce, the market size of 3D sensors was $819 million at the end of 2017 and is expected to reach $10.8 billion in 2020.
Bosheng Guangdian products have passed the necessary testing to supply smart phone modules and have reached mass production requirements. Recent R&D advances include an increase in the detection distances of 3D sensors and a reduction in manufacturing costs. These are considered important enhancements for smart phone makers.
Recent activity in China’s optical semiconductor space includes sensor maker Hesai Technology raising a $173 million Series C led by Germany’s Bosch Group and existing investor Lightspeed China Partners. Hesai manufactures light detection and ranging equipment, known as LiDAR, which is used to detect obstacles in autonomous driving.
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