Innovative LED manufacturer promises to slash TV energy use

Fresh from securing $72m in venture funding, Luminus Devices is planning to push its LED technology into new markets

LED manufacturer Luminus Devices has received $72m in venture funding to help expand its line of energy-efficient " Phlatlight" lighting.

The Billerica, Massachusetts-based company markets a Light Emitting Diode (LED) that uses photonic lattice technology to emit light across the whole surface area of the LED's material, rather than just from the ends of the unit.

The technology produces a bigger, brighter light than conventional LEDs, said vice president of sales and marketing John Langevin. "We're mass-producing lights 12 square millimetres in size," he added. "A traditional high-powered LED is just one square millimetre, and regular ones are just 350 microns on a side. "

The company hopes to begin selling the products into applications other than its core markets, which currently include projector lighting, and backlights for televisions. A 46-inch TV using conventional fluorescent backlighting technology will typically draw about 330 watts, but Langevin says that his products will enable manufacturers to deliver sub-200 watt units.

Luminus is currently sampling TVs with LED backlighting, and will be able to supply in volume in the second half of this year, he added.

New markets could include entertainment and stage lighting, industrial and medical applications, and other speciality lighting applications. The company, which will make a foray into some of these markets by the end of this year, also hopes to begin marketing general lighting products based on its LEDs next year.

Boston-based Braemar Energy Ventures acted as the lead investor on the deal, and participating funds included San Francisco-based CMEA Ventures and the Paladin Capital Group in Washington, D.C.