Mahoney & Lyle

CEA-Leti, Fraunhofer, imec and VTT Anchoring Multi-Hub Platform to Realize Designs By EU Companies, Researchers and Chip Developers

GRENOBLE, France – Feb. 27, 2024 – A new European Union consortium created to accelerate the development of next-generation, edge-AI technologies is installing clean room tools and gearing up to design, evaluate, test and fabricate new circuits from across Europe.

Coordinated by the EU’s four leading research and technology organizations (RTOs), France’s CEA-Leti, Germany’s Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Belgium-headquartered imec and Finland’s VTT, the PREVAIL project is a networked, multi-hub platform providing prototype chip fabrication capability in advanced artificial technology to EU stakeholders. In most cases, the technology offer will be based on commercial foundry processes, and advanced technology modules will be enhanced in the cleanrooms of the project partners.

“The PREVAIL project’s ultimate goal is to position Europe with an easy-access, advanced manufacturing infrastructure enabling users to make early research samples of innovative and trustworthy products and accelerate their commercialization,” said Sergio Nicoletti, CEA-Leti business development manager and PREVAIL project manager. “And while bringing their cutting-edge technologies to a higher maturity level and giving users the possibility to fabricate and test AI prototypes based on these technologies, the RTOs are reaping the benefits of technological cross-fertilization.”

“In addition to providing high-performance, low-power edge components and technologies to support the massive data-processing requirements of AI, the project will help energize the EU’s digital transformation, a precursor to the goals of the European Chips Act,” he said.

Launched at the end of 2022, the project is leveraging the RTOs’ advanced 300 mm fabrication, design and test facilities and related expertise to create the Testing and Experimentation Facility for Edge-AI Hardware (TEF Edge AI HW). This network will validate new high-performance, low-power, edge-AI components and support an infrastructure capable of fabricating early research prototype samples for testing in innovative edge-AI applications.

Nicoletti said the consortium is working with selected SMEs, the RTOs’ industrial partners and academic labs to prepare early designs that will be used to test fabrication equipment in the RTOs’ facilities. The project plans to open access widely for EU designers by May 2026.

While 80 percent of the project’s budget targets equipment suited for design, testing and fabrication of edge-AI devices, the project also will reinforce the readiness of the RTOs to equip their new pilot lines for developing 3D integration technologies, which also are envisioned in the chips act.

Key Project Components

In addition to fabricating advanced edge-AI applications and creating the platform’s TEF Edge AI HW, the consortium will provide process design kits (PDKs) compatible with standard commercial CAD tools and all the elements necessary for full chip design. A user-interface team will manage relationships among the developers of next-generation, edge-AI solutions and the consortium.

PREVAIL is the EU’s first step to link the RTOs’ different infrastructures and synchronize and coordinate their investments to minimize duplication, and to jointly increase the technology readiness levels (TRLs) of tools in development. The nearly €156 million ($169.3 million) cost of the 42-month project will be shared by the RTOs’ countries and the European Commission. Approximately 80 percent of this funding is CAPEX invested in new tools suited for edge-AI devices.

PREVAIL’s Founding Members

CEA: The French research organization in energy, defense & security, information technologies and health technologies is coordinator of the project.

CEA-Leti: The consortium is managed by CEA-Leti, which has about 11,000 m² of cleanroom space and 300 mm fabrication capabilities equipped with more than 150 tools to prototype advanced hardware. This specialty is supported by a nano-characterization platform specializing in physical-chemical characterization techniques.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Four Fraunhofer units in the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics and in the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) are participating in the initial phase of the PREVAIL project: Fraunhofer IPMS’s Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT), and Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID, the Center All Silicon System Integration Dresden, which will contribute with their 300 mm fabrication lines for CMOS compatible nanoelectronic technologies and advanced 3D wafer-level system integration. Fraunhofer EMFT will contribute chip-to-foil integration and physical analysis for trust, and Fraunhofer IIS will contribute by designing, measuring and testing CMOS integrated circuits enabled by its design and test experience in advanced semiconductor technologies down to 22nm.

Imec: With about 12,000 m² of cleanroom space, including a fully equipped 300 mm infrastructure, imec provides world-leading R&D on next-generation technology nodes serving the entire semiconductor ecosystem. The institute is applying its memory, 3D and photonics departments and unit process module department to help define PREVAIL’s technical offering.

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd operates in several research fields. Its Microelectronics and Quantum Technology Division and the Safe and Connected Society unit are participating in the consortium’s work. With deep system and connectivity expertise, VTT enables the consortium to renew the connectivity testbed with the latest edge-computing development equipment tools and 5G evolution network technology updates.

Press Contact                                                                                                                         

Agency

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

+33 6 74 93 23 47

Based at CEA-Leti, Collaboration Focuses on Materials Engineering Solutions To Accelerate Semiconductor Device Development for Applied’s ICAPS Customers

 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and GRENOBLE, France – Dec. 5, 2023 – Applied Materials, Inc. and CEA-Leti today announced an expansion of their longstanding collaboration to focus on developing differentiated materials engineering solutions for several specialty semiconductor applications.

The joint lab, which represents CEA-Leti’s highest level of collaboration, aims to accelerate device innovations for Applied’s customers serving ICAPS markets (IoT, Communications, Automotive, Power and Sensors). Technology applications in those fields include photonics, image sensors, RF communications components, power devices and heterogeneous integration.

Demand for ICAPS applications and devices is being driven by industrial automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), electric vehicles, green energy and smart grid infrastructure, among other major high growth markets. Projects at the joint lab will focus on developing solutions for a variety of materials engineering challenges to enable the next wave of ICAPS device innovation. The joint lab features several of Applied Materials’ 200mm and 300mm wafer processing systems and leverages CEA-Leti’s world-class capabilities for evaluating performance of new materials and device validation. Improvements in power consumption, performance and area/cost, along with faster time to market (PPACt™), will be key objectives of the joint team.

“CEA-Leti and Applied Materials aim to accelerate innovation and advance the roadmaps of a wide range of specialty semiconductor technologies,” said Aninda Moitra, corporate vice president and general manager of Applied Materials’ ICAPS business. “Our work at the joint lab builds upon more than a decade of successful collaboration and further strengthens our combined ability to enable faster time to innovation for ICAPS chipmakers.”

“For the past 10 years, Applied Materials and CEA-Leti have collaborated through multiple, specific joint development programs, which have set the stage for establishing our new joint lab,” said Sébastian Dauvé, the institute’s CEO. “Past projects included work in domains such as advanced metrology, materials for memory applications and optical devices, bonding techniques, materials deposition and film growth (PVD, CVD, ECD, Epitaxy) and chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP). Our results brought high value to both partners and to customers around the world, and we look forward to expanding our engagement with this new lab.”

“The joint lab, which is based at CEA-Leti, will host Applied Materials scientists and involve some of its latest-generation equipment,” Dauvé said. “In addition to developing differentiated technological solutions for Applied’s customers, the work performed at the joint lab will help overcome current technical hurdles in support of CEA-Leti’s internal R&D programs.”

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) is the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. Our expertise in modifying materials at atomic levels and on an industrial scale enables customers to transform possibilities into reality. At Applied Materials, our innovations make possible a better future. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

About CEA-Leti (France)

CEA-Leti, a technology research institute at CEA, is a global leader in miniaturization technologies enabling smart, energy-efficient and secure solutions for industry. Founded in 1967, CEA-Leti pioneers micro-& nanotechnologies, tailoring differentiating applicative solutions for global companies, SMEs and startups. CEA-Leti tackles critical challenges in healthcare, energy and digital migration. From sensors to data processing and computing solutions, CEA-Leti’s multidisciplinary teams deliver solid expertise, leveraging world-class pre-industrialization facilities. With a staff of more than 2,000 talents, a portfolio of 3,200 patents, 11,000 sq. meters of cleanroom space and a clear IP policy, the institute is based in Grenoble, France, and has offices in Silicon Valley, Brussels and Tokyo. CEA-Leti has launched 75 startups and is a member of the Carnot Institutes network. Follow us on www.leti-cea.com and @CEA_Leti.

Technological expertise

CEA has a key role in transferring scientific knowledge and innovation from research to industry. This high-level technological research is carried out in particular in electronic and integrated systems, from microscale to nanoscale. It has a wide range of industrial applications in the fields of transport, health, safety and telecommunications, contributing to the creation of high-quality and competitive products.

European Quantum Technologies Conference will gather ecosystem together for a 360-degree update on research breakthroughs, business-opportunity insights and connecting with key stakeholders

HANNOVER, Germany – Oct. 12, 2023 – Energized by the growing momentum in Europe’s quantum technology sector, stakeholders from across the quantum ecosystem will converge in Hannover Oct. 16-20 to hear the latest about research breakthroughs, funding, business launches and opportunities and the pathway to Europe’s leadership in the global quantum industry.

Organized by the EC’s Quantum Flagship and Quantum Valley Lower Saxony (QVLS), the European Quantum Technologies Conference (EQTC) will feature more than two-dozen plenary presentations and panel discussions, and more than 140 speakers on the successes and challenges for the EU’s quantum sector. Sessions will showcase developments in the four scientific pillars of the Quantum Flagship and the European ecosystem founded in basic science: communications, computation, simulation and sensing & metrology.

“Not only is basic research booming in quantum technologies but the first approaches and prototypes for applications are already being tested worldwide,” said Michèle Heurs, co-chair of the EQTC Organizing Committee and head of the Quantum Control research group at Leibniz University Hannover. “This field is already of vast relevance to our everyday life – and this influence may exponentially grow in the future.”

Other presentations will highlight examples of quantum applications already transferred to European industry, updates on some of the EU’s most promising quantum start-ups and the future outlook for the sector.

“Quantum is a game-changer for Europe,” said Dr. Gustav Kalbe, acting director, digital excellence & scientific infrastructures at the EC’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology. “EQTC 2023 is the platform to showcase Europe’s expertise and leadership in the quantum field and the increasing interrelation and coordination among the multiple components of this promising, fast-growing sector.”

Building Momentum

Several areas of success highlight momentum generated in a short period of time since the 2021 EQTC gathering, during which goals in many critical categories were agreed. For example, a Quantum Flagship key-performance indicator review, which measured 2022 progress towards meeting 2030 goals, found noteworthy performance in various categories:

• Quantum ecosystem venture-capital, seed funding and EU public investment increased 18.6 percent to €408 million from €344 million in 2021, to reach 40.8 percent of the 2030 goal of €1 billion.
• The ramp-up of quantum start-ups, spinoffs, incubators and accelerators, as well as public/private joint ventures in Europe, increased 20.25 percent to 95 in 2022 from 79 in 2021, reaching 38 percent of the 2030 goal of 250.
• The number of complementary subsystems that advance the state of the art and are necessary for quantum communications networks or to build a quantum internet increased from two to five – one-fourth of the 2030 goal.
• Connected European metropolitan areas and secure quantum key distribution (QKD) nodes that are integrated with a commercial telecom infrastructure increased from one metro area with eight nodes to 15 areas with 10 nodes each.
• In a measure of growing market readiness, five different (publicly known) product or service classes or use cases based on quantum sensors were developed by European companies and sold to European companies in 2022, up from three the previous year and reaching one-fourth of the 2030 target.

“These results, and more that will be made public in the coming months when our survey’s reach expands, show Europe’s quantum sector is vital, vibrant and focused on realistic goals established by Quantum Flagship,” said Philippe Grangier, coordinator of the Quantum Flagship CSA QUCATS.  “They also confirm progress in structuration throughout the sector that is required for it to grow holistically, as it supplements research with applications and solutions for industry.”

Conference Sessions

The conference will feature policy-making sessions along with almost 40 exhibits by companies, Quantum Flagship initiatives and European research centers. A blend of high-level and research-rich presentations plus multiple panel discussions on top-of-mind quantum topics and challenges will include Quantum Flagship presentations of progress since the previous EQTC in 2021.

For example, sessions on Tuesday, Oct. 17, will include a select panel on “European Leadership in Quantum Technologies” and presentations on successes featuring quantum computing & simulation and quantum communication.

A panel on Wednesday, Oct. 18, “Presentation and Discussion of the Quantum Flagship’s Strategic Research and Industry Agenda (SRIA)”, will preview some of the changes, challenges and thinking behind the upcoming edition of the SRIA. Managed by the Flagship, the report’s goal is the coordination and alignment of strategies and roadmaps of the EU’s main stakeholders in quantum technologies.

“This eagerly awaited report is the result of the hard work by a large number of Europe’s basic research and industry experts,” said panel moderator Salvatore Cinà of CEA (QUCATS partner). “Our panel will include insights into the main challenges that the SRIA report addresses and how it will impact the future strategy of the EU in quantum technologies.”

The updated SRIA report is expected to be released by year-end.

Organizers at EQTC, Europe’s official quantum gathering, are expecting approximately 700 participants at the event.

“This edition of the EQTC is designed to let Europe and the global quantum sector see and hear why Europe is a world leader in quantum,” said Grangier. “The Quantum Flagship is now embedded within many other EU actionsto develop quantum science and technology, create quantum systems units (QSU), industry transfers and quantum infrastructures, while boosting applications and adoption by industry.”

Keynotes, Plenaries and Panel Discussions:

Tuesday, Oct. 17 / Plenary Hall

• 9:30 – 10:30am — High-level Panel: European Leadership in Quantum Technologies
• 11:10am – 12:00pm — Plenary Session: Quantum Flagship Success Stories: Quantum Computing & Simulation
• 12:00 – 12:40pm — Expert Panel: The European Strategy on Quantum Computing and Simulation
• 2:00 – 2:50pm — Plenary Session: Quantum Flagship Success Stories: Quantum Communication
• 2:50 – 3:30pm — Expert Panel: The European Strategy on Quantum Communication
• 4:00 – 5:00pm — Interactive Session on the EU Quantum Strategy and the Role of National Initiatives

Wednesday, Oct. 18 / Plenary Hall

• 9:00 – 10:00am — Interactive Morning Panel: The Future of Quantum Technologies
• 10:00 – 11:00am – Panel Session: Presentation and Discussion of the Quantum Flagship’s Strategic Research and Industry Agenda (SRIA)
• 11:30 am – 1:00pm — Plenary Session: Investing in Quantum Technologies: Private Investment / European Innovation Council

Note: Each of the three parallel sessions on Oct. 18-20 will cover the four pillars and quantum fundamentals, with a fifth track on a different topic.

Plenary Hall, Halls 13-18

• 2:30 – 4:00pm — Parallel Sessions: European Showcases of Technology Maturity
  • Track V: Enabling Technologies of the Quantum Industry (co-organised with the Quantum Industry Consortium)
• 4:30 – 6:00pm — Plenary Session: Shaping Europe’s Digital Future: Chips Act and Pilot Lines // QT User Take-up: Success Stories and Infrastructure Access

Thursday, Oct. 19 / Plenary Hall

• 09:00 – 10:45am — Morning Plenary: Future Challenges in Fundamental Quantum Science

Plenary Hall, Halls 13-18

• 11:30am – 1:00pm — Parallel Sessions – Scientific Advances Across the Quantum Domains
  • Track V: Deployment of QT: Pilot lines, Test & Measurements and Standardization (co-organised by CEN-CENELEC, EURAMET, EMN-Q)
• 2:00 – 3:30pm — Parallel Sessions – Scientific Advances Across the Quantum Domains
  • Track V: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (co-organised by the European Flagship, EDI work group)
• 4:00 – 5:30pm — Plenary Session – Assuring a Successful European QT Ecosystem

During this event, winners of the Quantum Flagship call for proposals for the central session on Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) EQTC 2023 will be announced.   

Thursday, Oct. 19 / Plenary Hall

• 4:00 – 5:30pm — Formal launch of the European Quantum Readiness Center Accords to acknowledge companies and organizations for their quantum readiness efforts and ecosystem contributions.

Friday, Oct. 20 / Plenary Hall

• 09:00 – 9:30am –Morning Keynote: High-level Presentation on EU efforts in Quantum Computing
• 09:30 – 11:00am — Morning Plenary: Future Challenges in Metrology and Sensing

Plenary Hall, Halls 13-18

• 11:30am – 1:00pm — Parallel Sessions – Scientific Advances Across the Quantum Domains
• Track V: Education, Training & Careers (co-organised by QUCATS)

About Quantum Flagship

The Quantum Flagship is a European Commission 10-year initiative launched in October 2018 to accelerate the development of quantum technologies and their transition to the market. The Flagship projects bring together academic and industrial partnersfrom across Europe to collaborate on the future of quantum technology. The goal is to consolidate and increase European scientific leadership and excellence in quantum technologies and to position Europe as a dynamic and innovative region for breakthrough R&D, and promising business opportunities & investments in this sector. The Quantum Flagship is an affirmation of EU member states’ commitment to collective effort beyond national programs.

Press Contact                                                                                                                               

Agency

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

+33 6 74 93 23 47

Quantum Flagship Communications Office

Chaymae Senhajichaymae.senhaji@cea.fr

Combined Technology Is Industry’s First Solution Designed to Replace Analog Controls

 In GaN Power Supplies, Could Introduce ‘New Era’ in Industry

MEYLAN, France and SEOUL, South Korea – April 6, 2023 – Wise-integration, a French pioneer in digital control of gallium nitride (GaN) power supplies and GaN ICs, and Powernet, a leading Korean power supply manufacturer, today announced an agreement to build compact and energy-efficient technology for power-supply applications that are currently limited to analog control.

The memorandum of understanding addresses the needs of OEMs that require compact, digitally controlled power-supply systems for faster, smaller and more energy-efficient electronic equipment in products ranging from USB PD fast chargers to monitors, TV sets and electric vehicles.

The breakthrough system will combine Wise-integration’s WiseWare® digital controller and Wisegan®, a 650V enhancement-mode GaN-on-silicon IC for power applications from 30W to 3kW, with Powernet’s switched mode power supply (SMPS) technology that efficiently converts electrical power.

“We expect our collaboration to be the start of a new era in the power-supply industry by combining Powernet’s well-established experience in productizing power supplies and Wise-integration’s GaN IC  and digital-control technologies,” said Lee Don Ju, CEO of Powernet, which is a supplier to Korea’s semiconductor industry. “This combination will deliver a much higher level of energy efficiency to mass-market products, while reducing their environmental impact.”

“This partnership, guided by our long-term business and development roadmap, will bring Wise-integration’s unique GaN IC and digital-control technologies to global markets and enable Powernet to increase the powerdensity and reduce the size of its SMPS products,” said Thierry Bouchet, CEO of Wise-integration. “We will jointly deliver the high-level of compactness and superior performance required for the mass-market applications.”

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a wide-bandgap, next-generation semiconductor technology that has become key for development of advanced power electronics. It operates up to 20x faster than silicon and provides up to 3x the power or 3x the charge in half the size and weight of silicon devices.

Wise-integration is the first company to bring digital control to the power-supply market, where previously only analog controls were available. Original design manufacturers (ODM) such as Powernet are trying to meet growing demands from original equipment manufacturers (OEM), which require increasingly small and ultra-efficient power supplies for their future product lines. GaN is seen as a key material to delivering these features, but it is very difficult for power-suppy manufacturers to go above switching frequencies of 300kHz with analog devices.

Composed of a standard MCU 32-bit-based controller and running the company’s proprietary firmware, WiseWare manages the WiseGan devices and controls the power supply. Because fewer components are required than in analog controllers and thanks to high running frequency, the new power-electronic architecture reduces weight and volume of standard solutions by 30 percent and significantly reduces production costs.

About Wise-integration

Based in France, Wise-integration was founded in 2020. It specializes in the design and development of disruptive power-electronics solutions based on GaN technology. By combining both a GaN component (WiseGan®) and an advanced AC-DC system architecture with software (WiseWare®), Wise-integration opens the possibility of a charger up to 3x smaller, 3x more efficient and 3x lighter from 30W to 3kW. The combination of these two innovations targets the consumer, e-mobility and data-center server markets.

For more information, please visit www.wise-integration.com

About Powernet

Powernet is a Korean power supply manufacturer that develops robust and innovative SMPS (Switched Mode Power Supply) products for the consumer, display, industrial, LEDs and automotive markets.

http://www.gopowernet.com

Press Contact

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

+33 6 74 93 23 47

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

PRESS RELEASE

Meylan, France –– Feb. 10, 2022 –– Wise-integration, a pioneer in digital control of GaN power supplies and GaN ICs, and EDOM Technology, a leading distributor and solutions provider in Asia, today announced their new channel partnership in the field of GaN (gallium nitride) power semiconductors, with the goal of expanding Wise-integration’s business in Asian markets.

The strategic partnership will leverage Wise-integration’s GaN power transistor and digital control capabilities, as well as EDOM’s extensive distribution network for semiconductor components and customer-support capability throughout Asia.

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a wide-bandgap, next-generation semiconductor technology that has become key in a complete power electronics offering. It operates up to 20x faster than silicon and provides up to 3x the power or 3x the charge in half the size and weight as silicon devices.

The company’s customers will also benefit from greater access to GaN products and resources globally, especially in Asia, one of the fastest-growing markets for GaN technology. In addition, Wise-integration and EDOM Technology will collaborate on innovative GaN design using Wise-integration’s WiseGan® portfolio and WiseWare® digital control.  

This will provide customers with more benefits, including reduced bill of materials (BOM), easier, faster-design in, and highest performances due to digital control.

“Optimistic about the next-generation materials’ market potential of wide-bandgap semiconductors as well as the small size, high efficiency GaN technology that Wise-integration provides, we are glad to have Wise-integration as EDOM’s new partner on expanding our power solutions, and we will bring more options and advanced solutions to our clients,” said Wayne Tseng, Chairman of EDOM Technology.

“We are pleased to announce our partnership with EDOM Technology to enable Wise-integration to accelerate its business opportunities in Asia. By combining our GaN expertise with EDOM’s capabilities, I am confident that we will be able to grow our business and help customers realize more benefits from GaN in their power-supply applications,” said Thierry Bouchet, CEO of Wise-integration.

About Wise-integration

Based in France, Wise-integration was founded in 2020. It specializes in the design and development of disruptive power-electronics solutions based on GaN technology. By combining both a GaN component (WiseGan®) and an advanced AC-DC system architecture with software (WiseWare®), Wise-integration opens the possibility of a charger up to 3x smaller, 3x more efficient and 3x lighter from 30W to 3kW. The combination of these two innovations targets the consumer, e-mobility and data-center server markets.

For more information, please visit www.wise-integration.com

Contact Information

Rym Hamoumou

Rym.hamoumou@wise-integration.com

About EDOM technology

More than Distribution, EDOM is Your Best Solutions Partner

Founded in July 1996 and headquartered in Taipei, EDOM Technology is Asia’s best distribution and solutions provider. EDOM provides best-in-class distribution and solutions-based services to vendors, ODMs and OEMs around Asia and the world. EDOM has years of experience serving established markets and anticipating the requirements for leading edge products and applications, including portable and wearable devices, wireline and wireless communications, Internet of Things (IoT), automotive, robotics, medical, industrial control, computers and many other applications. With deep technical experience in opto-electronics, digital, analog and mixed-signal applications, and excellent logistics and operation, EDOM bridges the gap between vendors, customers and partners to provide a full range of services and solutions.

For more information, please visit www.edomtech.com

Contact Information

Jade Lee

TEL: +886(2)2657-8811 ext. 5405

jadel@edomtech.com or PR@edomtech.com

Press Contact

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

+33 6 74 93 23 47

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

PRESS RELEASE

Marseille, France – Feb. 8, 2022 – Traxens, the world’s first smart-container service provider for the global supply-chain industry, announced today it has received a new financing round of €23 million (USD25+ million), including participation of its historical shareholders, and acquired NEXT4, a fast-growing French supplier of removable and reusable shipping-container trackers.

The two companies will combine efforts to market and develop their highly complementary tracking solutions and their software applications to offer the best of their functionalities to their customers, e.g. shipment scheduling, collaborative risk management and analysis reports. This alliance positions them to grow Traxens to be the No. 1 company in the international market of overseas cargo visibility, through sharing their technological expertise in tracking devices.

Since its launch in 2012, Traxens has become the reference in shipping container tracking. Through the strong collaboration established with the three main shipping lines, as shareholders, it introduced its smart container solution.

Its Internet-of-Things (IoT) solution is based on a breakthrough technology that enables access to the most comprehensive, precise and timely data for managing assets in transit anywhere in the world. In addition to tracking container geolocation, it detects shocks and monitors temperature and humidity, as well as the open-or-closed status of container doors.

Founded in Toulouse in 2018, NEXT4 provides trackers that can be affixed to containers from point of origin to the final destination. This provides freight forwarders with a premium tracking solution and gives customers 24/7, real-time data on the status and location of their goods via sensors inside the containers. Tens of thousands of NEXT4 trackers have been adopted by leading freight forwarders such as Bolloré Logistics and DB Schenker. Multiple airlines have approved the newest version of the trackers, a smaller and more versatile device, adapted to air freight.

The €23 million round of financing follows a Series C funding round of approximately €20M ($22.7M) raised in 2019. In addition to enabling Traxens to grow its smart container business worldwide, the new round will be used to build new partnerships with some of the ecosystem’s major enterprises, such as container lessors, insurance companies and transport management systems. As it moves into new markets in the U.S., South America and Asia, Traxens also will use the funds to expand its portfolio of solutions to address the increasing needs of freight forwarders and beneficial cargo owners (BCO) for supply chain transparency.

The addition of NEXT4’s removable, reusable container-tracking systems is a strategic expansion of Traxens’ business model to target addressable markets and, during this challenging period for the supply-chain, ensures almost immediate availability of at least one of the two technology solutions for Traxens’ customers. Shippers or their partners can either use a pre-equipped container or a removable cargo tracker to position themselves on their containers, according to their needs.

“Integrating NEXT4 into our company dramatically increases our ability to serve the growing needs of our customers as they digitize their business processes, while adding freight transparency, cargo security and goods integrity,” said Traxens CEO David Marchand. “We will bring to the market a comprehensive portfolio of solutions that gives our customers the flexibility to choose between a permanent or removable tracker, which is a unique option in our target markets.”

“Joining the Traxens group enables us to market our innovative solution on an international scale and to jointly develop new products and solutions with their team,” said NEXT4 CEO and founder Cédric Rosemont. “Our highly complementary solutions will meet the current and future challenges of shippers and their logistics providers. This means NEXT4’s customers also can benefit from Traxens’ solutions, which are now being widely deployed by container owners.”

NEXT4 will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Traxens and will remain in Toulouse. In addition to remaining as CEO of NEXT4, Rosemont will serve as Traxens’ chief marketing officer.

Both CEOs will be available for interviews about this strategic merger at the TPMTECH (Feb.24-25) and TPM22 (Feb. 27-March 2) trade shows in Long Beach, Calif.

NEXT4 (left) and Traxens (right) devices in use on containers. Both solutions are placed differently on the container, which ensures their total complementarity. Traxens’ box is fixed permanently on the outside of the container, while NEXT4’s reusable device is placed, in a few seconds, astride the door, for the duration of a shipment.

About Traxens

Traxens’ solution enables permanent tracking of containers for international transport. Today, the several thousands of smart-containers equipped by Traxens are available in 450 locations across 55 countries. Traxens’ shareholder shipping companies own nearly 50 percent of the world’s container fleet. Traxens already supports more than 300 customers in various applications, such as supply-chain monitoring and planning, cargo integrity guarantee, and identification of risks associated with illegal actions on containers. https://www.traxens.com/

About NEXT4

NEXT4’s solution has proven its reliability and innovation by adapting to the highly constrained context of containers. The company has been chosen by some of the world’s leading freight forwarders as their unique solution for maritime container tracking. Its SaaS platform and reliable devices enable transparency and control of supply chain processes, of cargo integrity and the identification of issues occurring during the cargo trip. Not constrained by geographical limits, it is operational on 90 percent of the world’s land surface, in 98 percent of freight ports and has been deployed on five continents. https://next4.io/

PRESS CONTACT

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

+33 6 74 93 23 47

News Release

Company closes first of 3 tranches in Series D round. Backing will be used to complete product development near Grenoble and create a new display manufacturing facility based on Aledia’s proprietary technology of 3D microLEDs.

Echirolles, France, Oct. 7, 2020 – Aledia, a French startup that is pioneering a disruptive technology for microLED displays, has closed an €80M first tranche of its €120M D-round financing. The company will use the proceeds to complete its product development and create the first-of-its-kind, high-volume 3D microLED manufacturing facility in the Grenoble area for an estimated capex of €40 million. Spun out of CEA-Leti in 2012, Aledia uses its proprietary technology to develop LED chips for next-generation displays for laptops, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, augmented-reality glasses and large TVs.

The Investment Fund Société de Projet Industriel (SPI), a fund managed by Bpifrance and underwritten by the French State as part of the Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir (PIA), is lead investor in the round and is joined by the majority of the existing strategic investors, including Intel Capital.

“There is a major turning point coming in the $120 billion per year display market as microLED technology starts to replace the traditional LCD and OLED technologies,’’ said Giorgio Anania, Aledia CEO and cofounder. “In addition to being more efficient and brighter than current alternatives, with better colors, and a faster refresh rate, these new displays will be competitively priced.”

He said Aledia is the only company targeting this market with a nanocrystal technology that uses very large-size silicon wafers (200-300mm in diameter) and with processes developed by the microelectronics industry, as opposed to the traditional technology of planar, 2D LEDs built on smaller, layered sapphire substrates of 100-150mm diameter. Aledia’s technology is protected by 197 patent families, making Aledia the leading French startup company in France in filed patents.

“Clearly there is significant competition in this market, and this investment allows Aledia to accelerate substantially its development and establish world-class manufacturing capabilities,” Anania said. “We are delighted to welcome SPI to our shareholder base, and we are also proud that our largest strategic investors and development partners are all reinvesting in this financing.’’

“The display industry is a large strategic market of the future, and Aledia is making a very ambitious play to become a leader in this space,” said Magali Joëssel, SPI fund director at Bpifrance. “With an investment of over €200 million in equipment over the next five years and plans to grow to approximately 500 employees, Aledia’s location in the Grenoble area signals a commitment to establish a world-scale industrial manufacturing facility in France. Bpifrance is pleased to support Aledia in this exciting endeavor.’’

“In a world where mobile computing has become essential, the need has never been greater for displays which are energy efficient, high definition and readable in all settings – indoors and outdoors. Aledia’s nanowire microLEDs are a key enabling technology for this next-generation of mobile consumer devices,” said Marshall Smith, senior director materials management at Intel. “We are pleased to be working with Aledia in helping it bring this technology to market.”

Aledia’s existing investors include Braemar Energy Ventures, Demeter Investment Partners, the Ecotechnologies fund of Bpifrance, Ingka Investments, Intel Capital, Sofinnova Ventures, Supernova Invest, TEL (Tokyo Electron), Valeo, and several large, additional technology companies.

The financing was managed by Ancoris Capital Partners of New York, with Orrick as legal advisers.

About Aledia

Aledia develops and manufactures microLED displays and components to equip the $120 billion worldwide display market with next-generation technology. Its proprietary 3D microLED technology uses GaN nanowires on large-area silicon that emit light and can be used to manufacture state-of-the-art displays which deliver better performance at competitive prices compared to current LCD and OLEDs technologies. These improvements include longer battery life on mobile devices, better outdoor readability and faster refresh rates, as well as sharper colors. The company is targeting markets for smartphones, laptops and tablets, augmented reality displays and large TVs. Based in the Grenoble area in France, Aledia has 125 employees. It was spun out of CEA-Leti, the French microelectronics R&D institute, in 2012. Visit www.aledia.com/

About Bpifrance and the SPI fund

Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses – at every stage of their development – through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extrafinancial services (training, consultancy) to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export…).

Managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French State as part of the PIA Future Investments Program (Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir), the purpose of the SPI fund is to enable industrial projects with the best prospects for business and employment in industrial sectors to find support for their development. The fund acts as a prudent equity investor in project companies with industrialisation projects selected for their growth potential, the industry’s current position and their contribution to environmental and energy transition. It therefore constitutes one of the financial levers of the ‘New Industrial France’.

For more information, please visit: www.bpifrance.fr and presse.bpifrance.fr. Follow us on Twitter: @Bpifrance – @BpifrancePresse

PRESS RELEASE

VERSAILLES, France – May 30, 2017 – Mahoney Lyle, an international communications agency that specializes in building global identities for Internet of Things (IoT), telecom and microelectronics companies and other technology innovators, today announced it is creating and executing worldwide communication programs for Kerlink, the fast-growing pioneer of IoT solutions.

Kerlink (ALKLK – FR0013156007) provides equipment, software and services to telecom operators, smart cities and companies of all sizes worldwide that want to launch and operate IoT networks on LoRaWAN™. The Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) network provides the cost-savings and energy-efficiency features required for rapid worldwide implementation of the Internet of Things.
Based in Thorigné-Fouillard, France, Kerlink is a founding member and board director of the LoRa Alliance. The company went public in 2016 and has achieved a compound average annual growth rate above 50 percent since 2013. Fiscal 2016 revenue nearly doubled vs. 2015.

Mahoney Lyle, which has specialized in communicating about the IoT since 2012, will partner with Kerlink to design and execute the company’s strategic communication and marketing programs across diverse platforms, such as public relations, analyst relations and social media, to support the company’s expansion in Europe, the U.S. and Asia Pacific.

“Mahoney Lyle early on established its expertise in delivering sophisticated and proactive Internet of Things press, analyst and media communications programs on the international stage,” said Stéphane Dejean, Kerlink’s chief marketing officer. “Their team offers Kerlink the experience, professional counsel and rapid response needed to support our ambitious international growth plans.”

“Kerlink, which reflects the vitality of France’s innovative tech sector, will accelerate implementation of the Internet of Things by telecoms, smart cities and individual companies, globally,” said Amélie Ravier, Mahoney Lyle’s director of PR and social media. “In addition to its innovative, proven IoT solutions, Kerlink is a powerful example of how technology entrepreneurs can create and quickly ramp up a company to meet industry needs worldwide.”

About Mahoney Lyle
Mahoney Lyle Communications brings more than three decades of combined experience in creating and executing strategic communications plans and programs for tech clients that want to rapidly build their international identities. The agency’s messaging and execution expertise covers the Internet of Things, telecom, and the entire microelectronics value chain. ML’s size and entrepreneurial mindset assure a rapid response to client opportunities using PR, social media and other platforms. See mmm.mahoneylyle.com or follow ML on Twitter.

About Kerlink
Kerlink specialises in network solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT). Its mission is to provide its clients – telecom carriers, businesses and public authorities – with network solutions (equipment, software and services) dedicated to the Internet of Things. Over the past three years, Kerlink has invested more than €8 million in R&D. In just over 10 years, more than 70,000 Kerlink installations have already been rolled out for more than 260 clients, including GrDF, Suez, Saur and Médiamétrie. In 2016, Kerlink generated revenues of €14.1 million, 25% of which internationally. Since 2013, it has posted average annual growth of more than 50%. Kerlink has been listed on Alternext Paris since May 2016.
For more information, visit www.kerlink.fr or follow us on Twitter

For the second consecutive year, France ranks third globally in innovation, based on data compiled for the 2016 Clarivate Analytics Top 100 Global Innovators report. French public-sector research organizations, CEA, CNRS and IFP Energies Nouvelles, joined Arkema, Saint-Gobain and Safran as perennial research standouts in the rankings since the report’s first edition in 2011.

Total S.A. debuted on the list in 2016, while Alstom made its second appearance. Thales and Valeo made the grade for the fourth time. France placed 10 companies and research organizations in both the 2015 and 2016 top 100 rankings, behind the US (35, 39) and Japan (40, 34).

Here’s the 2016 ranking:

US – 39%

Japan – 34%

France – 10%

Germany – 4%

Korea – 3%

Switzerland – 3%

The Netherlands – 2%

China – 1%

Finland – 1%

Ireland – 1%

Sweden – 1%

Taiwan – 1%

“Now in its sixth year, the 2016 Top 100 Global Innovators report reveals a prominent shift in strategy among the world’s top innovators. Notably, the volume of patents filed has decreased, while grant rates have increased,” writes David Brown, EVP of Clarivate, formerly Thomson Reuters.

“That trend, combined with a significant commitment to R&D spending, showcases an increased commitment to quality over quantity for commercializing new inventions… On average, the 2016 Top 100 Global Innovators invest 9.1 percent more in R&D than those in the S&P 100, underlining the importance they place on innovation.”

The rankings criteria are:

• Volume: countries must have at least 100 unique inventions protected by a granted patent over the past five years.
• Success: the ratio of patent applications to those that were granted
• Globalization: the value organizations place on protecting inventions across major markets
• Influence: how often the patents are cited in other patent applications

Of course, in small samples, small changes may exaggerate impacts. Between 2013 and 2014, France’s score slipped from 12 to seven. That could have seemed alarming as a percentage change.

Where’s the UK?

The UK, which last merited a mention in the 2011 report when it had one company listed, is conspicuous by its absence from the rankings. But UK researchers probably are more concerned about post-Brexit research funding than any contemporary comparisons.

Still, the UK retains bragging rights as a startup powerhouse, according to data on funding for new companies. La French Tech, a publicly and privately funded group dedicated to helping French startups prosper, reports that for the last half of 2015 and the first two quarters of 2016, UK startups raised significantly more money than their German and French counterparts. France trailed both countries in those four quarters, but had a strong showing in Q3 last year.

“In Q3’16, buoyed by a $279M deal to OVH.com, total funding was 85% higher than that to Germany-based startups and only 7% behind the UK,” La French Tech notes.

“(French) deal flow has been trending up since 2012 and recently surged 71 percent over 2015 full-year for a 4-year high of 368 deals in just the first three quarters of 2016.”

In fact, investor enthusiasm for French entrepreneurial enterprises set an annual record in the first nine months of 2016: $1.5 billion. “Funding has generally been trending up since Q2’13,” the report says. “From Q2’16 to Q3’16, funding grew 200 percent to reach $857M in total funding over 145 deals.”

There are multiple ways to compare how nations stack up vs. one another for global economic, scientific and entrepreneurial prestige. Here is a World Economic Forum summary of country competitiveness.

 

 

 

Mahoney Lyle is pleased to announce our partnership with Bannigan Communications to provide our international clients with seasoned PR counsel, broad industry knowhow and proven program execution in the Asia Pacific region. Headquartered in New York, Bannigan Communications has its primary global hub based out of Hong Kong.

 

As ML’s strategic partner in the region, Bannigan Communications brings our clients experience in APAC tech industries, expertise in the cultural nuances of communicating in each country and locally based, on-the-ground professional counsel. With more than 20 years of experience in the region, the agency has long-term relationships with PR firms throughout the APAC region, working together as a multi-country team on international brands around the world.

 

“We are thrilled to be working together with Mahoney Lyle, providing our Asia Pac expertise,” says Helen Bannigan, CEO of Bannigan Communications. “Our industry knowledge combined with local cultural savvy will enhance Mahoney Lyle’s solid capabilities in helping clients achieve their goals around the world.”