Kateeva完成新一轮募资，京东方、TCL赫然在列
Kateeva是一间从麻省理工学院（MIT）分拆出来的新创公司，核心技术为大尺寸的喷墨设备。原先设计是要用在大面积的OLED面板制作上，即用喷墨制程取代传统的蒸镀。但近年来也开发出喷墨设备用在薄膜封装（TFE）上的制程技术。无论是用在OLED组件或封装上，由于喷墨技术的特性，可支持大尺寸面板制作以及制程成本低是共通的特色。
上周Kateeva宣布完成了新一轮的募资（Series-E），此次募资总额达8800万美金，比起前一次的3800万美金多出一倍多。
比较特别的是，此次参与募资的投资者清一色来自中国，包括了京东方（BOE）、赛伯乐投资集团（Cybernaut Venture）、金浦产业投资基金（GP Capital Shanghai）、Redview Capital及TCL创投。京东方、Redview Capital及TCL创投将各有一席董事会席位。
而根据中信建投发布的京东方日常关联交易审查意见书中提到，截至2015年12月31日，京东方在该单位有董事任职，Kateeva总资产 4,484 万美元、净资产-344万美元、主营业务收入1,671 万美元、净利润-2,882 万美元。Kateeva与京东方日常交易正常。
之前Katevva的投资者清单则包括三星创投（Samsung Venture Investment Corporation）、SigmaPartners、Spark Capital、 MadroneCapital Partners、DBL Partners、NewScience Ventures及Veeco。
Kateeva D轮、E轮 投资者列表
从2008年创立公司以来，Kateeva已募集了超过2亿美金的投资。此次募集的资金将会用在加速新产品的开发，以及扩充位于硅谷的总部的设备产能上。另一方面，为了对应客户，Kateeva也会增加在亚洲的RD支持能量。
根据Kateeva的说法，该公司会先把技术用在可挠式OLED的薄膜封装制程上，而这应该也是众多中国资金投入的原因，目标放在广被看好即将起飞的可挠式OLED商机。对于OLED来说，由于容易和水和氧气反应而劣化失效，封装技术一直都是关键，而对于可挠式OLED来说更是如此。如果Kateeva的技术能同时满足封装效果、制程简易度及成本优势的话，将有望在可挠式OLED应用的趋势中得到高额收益。
而在满足了可挠式应用的需求后，Kateeva的未来目标则会放在大面积的OLED面板制作上。 （来源：陳重嘉）
OLED面板溶液制程 可望大幅降低生产成本
有机发光二极管(OLED)面板溶液制程比传统真空蒸镀法更省材料，而且设备投资费用较低、制程时间更短，一旦用于量产，将可大幅降低大尺寸OLED电视生产成本，因此受到乐金显示器(LG Display；LGD)、三星显示器(Samsung Display)等业者的关注。
根据韩媒D-Daily的报导，目前OLED电视市场唯一的推动者LGD，使用白光OLED蒸镀技术，必须透过外加的RGBW彩色滤光片发出色光，因此生产成本高昂；而中小尺寸面板使用的精密金属屏蔽(FineMetalMask；FMM)蒸镀技术，直接使用发出色光的RGB材料，可省略彩色滤光片，但应用于大尺寸面板，却有屏蔽下垂，以及材料过度使用等多种问题。
目前受到瞩目的OLED面板溶液制程，是将溶液状态的RGB发光材料以喷墨喷嘴细微地喷洒于所需之处，与在真空室内将有机材料汽化的传统真空蒸镀法相比，可减少有机材料的浪费。投资印刷设备的费用也比真空蒸镀设备要低。与白光OLED相比，因为不需要彩色滤光片，将可大幅节省生产成本。
不过低分子溶液材料的发光效率、寿命与均匀度都比传统的高分子材料差，技术有待改良。主要显示器业者们，为提高低分子溶液的性能，也积极行动中。LGD京畿道坡州工厂中，应用喷墨印刷技术的溶液制程OLED生产线「M2-Inkjet」自2015年6月起开始稼动进行试产。为了启动该生产线，也与设备业者东京威力科创(Tokyo Electron)、喷墨喷嘴业者爱普生(Epson)，以及材料领域的默克(Merck)、住友化学(Sumitomo Chemical)等合作。
据传台湾友达(AUO)与大陆京东方(BOE)也在研发溶液制程。日本Panasonic与友达更曾发表过以溶液制程生产的OLED电视面板。另外三星显示器也默默准备当中。
三星创投(Samsung Venture Investment)2014年9月收购拥有喷墨印刷技术的美国新创公司Kateeva股份。该公司薄膜封装设备已应用在三星显示器新稼动的可挠式(Flexible)OLED面板生产线。Kateeva为了以印刷技术生产大尺寸OLED电视面板，也在1月跟日本材料业者住友化学进行合作。此外，三星显示器也持续与美国杜邦(DuPont)共同开发印刷式的溶液制程技术。
Kateeva技术长(CTO)Steven Van Slyke表示，以喷墨印刷方式制造的高性能OLED面板一旦问世，就能量产低价OLED电视。南韩业界预估正式使用溶液制程量产OLED的时机将在2017年，届时溶液制程市场可达3.8亿美元规模，并延续每年平均141%的高成长率。
NEWARK, Calif., May 19, 2016 — Kateeva today announced that it has closed its Series E funding round with $88 million in new financing.
The Silicon Valley technology leader disrupted the flat panel display industry when it launched a breakthrough equipment solution to mass-produce flexible Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs). Flexible OLED technology gives limitless stretch to new product design innovation by liberating panel manufacturers from the constraints of glass substrates. It enables ultra-thin, feather-light displays that are bendable, roll-able, and even fold-able. Kateeva’s solution, known as the YIELDjet? platform, leverages inkjet printing with novel innovations to perform critical steps in the OLED manufacturing process. Today, YIELDjet tools are helping to accelerate the adoption of OLED technology – a trend that’s taking the global display industry to exciting new heights.
The new Kateeva investors are: BOE, Cybernaut Venture, GP Capital Shanghai, Redview Capital, and TCLCapital, all located in China. They join existing investors that include: Samsung Venture Investment Corporation(SVIC), Sigma Partners, Spark Capital, Madrone Capital Partners, DBL Partners, New Science Ventures, andVEECO Instruments, Inc.
The company has raised $200 million since it was founded in 2008.
New Board seats will be filled by an executive from BOE, Redview Capital, and TCL Capital respectively.
The funds will accelerate new product development. The money will also help Kateeva expand manufacturing capacity at its Silicon Valley headquarters, where production systems are being built. In addition, the funds will strengthen Kateeva’s customer satisfaction infrastructure in Asia, and support continued R&D.
The round closes as demand for flexible OLED displays soars. This year, the market for plastic and flexible OLED displays will reach $2.1 billion, says Guillaume Chansin, Ph.D., Senior Technology Analyst at research firm IDTechEx. By 2020, it will surpass $18 billion. While mobile phones and wearables are currently the two main applications, Chansin expects that the technology will be found in tablets and automotive in the coming years.
The market trajectory is due to the confluence of two trends: first, voracious demand for flexible devices made possible by the enabling advantages of OLED technology; and second, the introduction of manufacturing tools like Kateeva’s YIELDjet platform that provided a pathway to cost-effective mass-production of flexible OLEDs for the first time.
Kateeva Chairman and CEO Alain Harrus, Ph.D. noted how OLED technology first transformed the viewing experience by giving spectacular color quality and brightness to rigid displays on mobile phones. “Now, it’s giving extraordinary new shape, lightness and thinness to those products and others that have yet to be invented,” he said. “Kateeva started enabling this ‘freedom from glass’ display innovation in 2008 when our founders began pioneering a superior mass-production equipment solution for OLEDs. Today, Kateeva tools are positioned in top OLED manufacturing fabs. Our investors were stalwart partners along the way. We’re grateful for their support, and we welcome our new investors.”
Flexible OLED is the first major application for Kateeva’s YIELDjet platform, according to President and Co-Founder Conor Madigan, Ph.D. “Next up is OLED TV,” he said. “Having mastered the technical challenges of mass-producing Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE) – the layer that gives thinness and flexibility to the OLED device, we’re now applying YIELDjet technology to help display manufacturers mass-produce the OLED RGB layer, which enables OLED TVs. The new funds will accelerate new product development, and support ongoing R&D.”
Kateeva executives will be present at Display Week 2016. The premier international symposium for the display industry will be held May 22-27 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, Calif. President and Co-Founder Conor Madigan, Ph.D. will present on Kateeva’s technology on Monday, May 23. Chairman and CEO Alain Harrus, Ph.D. will speak at the Investors Conference on Tuesday, May 24.
Kateeva makes breakthrough production equipment for manufacturers of advanced electronics technologies. The company has pioneered a precision deposition technology platform that uses innovative inkjet printing to deposit coatings on complex applications with blinding speed and superb accuracy. Technology leaders use Kateeva’s solution to enable cost-effective mass production of flexible and large-size OLED displays, among other cutting-edge products. Kateeva is headquartered in Silicon Valley, maintains operations in Korea, and is backed by leading Venture Capital firms and other investors. www.kateeva.com.>
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