Osram backs deep-UV LED disruptor Bolb
23 Feb 2021
Lighting giantâs venture unit leads $16Â million investment in California startup developing efficient short-wavelength emitters for germicidal applications.
Osramâs âFluxunitâ investment division has acquired a significant equity stake in Bolb, which is developing deep-ultraviolet (UVC) LEDs for chemical-free disinfection of pathogens in air, water, and on surfaces - including efforts to mitigate coronavirus transmission.
The Germany-headquartered lighting company led a $16Â million round of series A venture funding in exchange for 20Â per cent ownership of Livermore-based Bolb.
Other investors in the round include Southeast Asian UVC-Tech Group, and the Silicon Valley based venture investor Walden International. Bolb says that the new funds will be used to expand its manufacturing capacity and global sales effort, among other things.
WUHAN: “Around 9:30 a.m. on 22 January 2020, my brother and I were walking on the street to the library in Wuhan,” Ling Zhu said. Ling is a young Chinese from Wuhan who just finished her master’s degree in English and Chinese journalism from the Communication University of China (CUC) in Beijing.
“As we walked, my mother excitedly called and told me that the library had decided to shut down because of an infectious virus. Then I heard the air defense warning system blast, and the public radio announce that all public transportation would be closed at 10 o’clock,” Ling Zhu continued.”