Intel Capital and The Colorado Impact Fund Invest in KMLabs to Manufacture EUV Systems
Kapteyn-Murnane Laboratories, Inc. (KMLabs), a laser manufacturer that commercializes ultrafast, short wavelength technologies developed by the National Science Foundation (NSF)’s graduated Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Engineering Research Center (ERC) based at Colorado State University, has received a Series A investment led by Intel Capital, with participation from The Colorado Impact Fund (CIF) and management. The investment will fund build-out of KMLabs’ manufacturing capabilities and accelerate product development efforts for new ultrashort-pulse and EUV laser sources.
KMLabs is working to put state-of-the-art ultrafast laser research tools into the hands of leading scientists worldwide. As EUV systems become more powerful, they must also become more flexible, user-friendly, and reliable; KMLabs simplifies these higher-performing systems for several industries that hope to partner with the company to commercialize their next-generation technologies. The investment by Intel Capital and The Colorado Impact Fund will enable these businesses to begin expansion into one or more attractive commercial markets, such as nanoelectronics, coherent diffractive imaging, medical x-ray imaging, and nuclear interactions. The University of Colorado (CU), an EUV-ERC partner institution, will also benefit from the agreement through a royalty arrangement and minority ownership. Assisting in the successful commercialization of CU’s intellectual property is within the mission of CIF and benefits the state’s higher education system.
Founded in 1994, KMLabs is a spin-off of the basic research effort of two CU Physics professors, Henry Kapteyn and Margaret Murnane, of CU’s Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) and the NSF-funded EUV-ERC. KMLabs is a technology leader for high-power, high-performance femtosecond laser systems and a pioneer in making practical coherent EUV and x-ray sources—essentially the first commercial tabletop-scale “x-ray laser” light sources. These technologies are based on fundamental new physics discovered and developed only over the last two to three decades, and they promise to play an enabling role for 21st century industry.
Intel Capital is an experienced investor in the laser market and provides a number of advantages to KMLabs including industry knowledge, technical expertise, and important customer relationships, particularly with semiconductor equipment suppliers. Investment dollars will go towards strengthening KMLabs’ engineering capabilities to further enhance its core business, while simultaneously building out a more commercially focused portfolio and manufacturing infrastructure.
