7 January 2013

VTT and Lumichip invest in LED technology start-up LightTherm

Finland’s VTT Ventures Ltd and LED lighting components provider Lumichip Ltd have made a joint investment in LED technology firm LightTherm Ltd, also of Finland.

A difficulty with LEDs, says LightTherm, is the heat sensitivity of components and materials. Overheating can shorten the lifespan and efficiency of LEDs, while light output falls as temperatures rise. LightTherm uses innovative materials and heat management solutions to improve the lifespan, efficiency and light output of LEDs.

“The high thermal management efficiency of this technology enables significantly higher light output – for example from replacement spots – than is currently available anywhere in the LED market,” says Lumichip’s chairman Dr Juha Rantala. “LightTherm materials, device construction and manufacturing processes give flexibility in design, and will enable the manufacture of entirely new lighting applications for both consumer and industrial luminaires. We believe this will change completely the way in which LED products are manufactured in the future.”

A VTT spin-off firm, LightTherm's technologies are based on research and development carried out at VTT Technology Research Centre of Finland. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland produces technology solutions and services. VTT Ventures Ltd supports companies exploiting new technology, from business plan through to funding.

“We are pleased to co-operate with a partner such as Lumichip to take this very innovative and promising technology to the industrialisation and commercialisation phase,” said VTT Ventures’ CEO Antti Sinisalo.

LightTherm's founding team consists of Petri Nyman, Ville Moilanen and Kimmo Jokelainen. CEO & co-founder Petri Nyman has extensive experience in start-ups, as well as in the management of growth companies. Co-founders Ville Moilanen and Kimmo Jokelainen have a research background with VTT and have been instrumental in developing the core innovations behind this new technology.

Tags: LEDs

Visit: www.ventures.fi

Visit: www.lumichip.com