MEDIA RELEASE PR39885
Qualcomm Makes Strategic Investment in Anteryon
SAN DIEGO, PARIS and EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands, June 7/PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Anteryon, the world leader in wafer-based, miniature optical module
production for mobile phone cameras and laser projection, and Qualcomm
Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced
wireless technologies, products and services, today announced Qualcomm's
strategic investment in Anteryon as part of its European investment fund.
Qualcomm Ventures Europe is leading this round, with BNP Paribas Private
Equity and Biggell Finance participating as existing shareholders, and Quest
for Growth (Euronext: QfG), a Belgium-based investment fund, also as a new
investor. Investment funds will be used for the breakthrough WaferOptics(R)
optical module production technology and Anteryon's Asia production facility
expansion. Terms of the investment have not been disclosed.
Anteryon's unique, proven and patented WaferOptics technology
revolutionizes the production of micro-optics for miniature camera and laser
projection modules. Wafer-scale production enables extensive miniaturization
and cost saving, while using the same wafer format as the CMOS image sensor
industry allows for a full integration of sensor and optics production, which
vastly simplifies the camera module supply chain. Anteryon is the recognized
world leader in this domain, with a WaferOptics product portfolio ranging
from VGA to 5 megapixel, and manufacturing facilities in Eindhoven and China
that produce millions of WaferOptics lens stacks monthly at an extremely high
yield for several top-tier mobile phone manufacturers around the globe.
"We are very excited about the quality and commitment of our new
investor, Qualcomm. The magnitude of opportunities opened up by the
WaferOptics production technology is immense, and Qualcomm's experience and
knowledge in the wireless industry will be a contributing factor in our
future success," said Gert Jan Bloks, CEO of Anteryon. "This new investment
will enable us to boost our worldwide manufacturing facilities, including
extension of the facilities in Eindhoven and the set up of a new state of the
art production facility in the Far East. In order to meet the high-volume
market demand, we will also investigate additional ways of scaling our
business, such as partnering with other players in the supply chain and/or
licensing our technology."
"Anteryon has a unique position in this promising market for WaferOptics,
both in terms of product design and manufacturing capabilities. We believe
that Anteryon has what it takes to lead and accelerate this market to
dramatically improve miniaturization and cost reduction of camera modules,
enabling a new generation of camera phones and handheld devices," said
Frederic Rombaut, managing director of Qualcomm Ventures Europe.
About Anteryon
About Qualcomm
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Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.
WaferOptics is a registered trademark of Anteryon. All other trademarks are
the property of their respective owners.
Source: Anteryon
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