Morphotonics admitted to the Virtual Accelerator of Make Next Platform on 21 December 2023.
Morphotonics (MPH; founded 2014) develops high volume manufacturing (HVM) roll-to-plate (R2P) nanoimprint lithography (NIL) tools for next generation displays with optical effects, using free-form nanostructures on large substrates of 1100×1300 mm (so-called Gen 5). Applications are Anti-Glare, Glasses-Free 3D optics and, eventually, Augmented Reality displays/glasses. The company claims its technology is applicable for any optics, any display, and any size. The innovative aspect is the development of R2P NIL tools for low-cost HVM of next-gen displays. MPH is on the brink to become the first company world-wide which will offer these HVM R2P NIL tools to display makers. Its IP guarantees a high freedom-to-operate.
The installed base amounts to 20 tools (10 imprint tools and 10 primer and coating tools) with 10 clients which use these tools for prototyping and small series. Customers are in Europe, US, and Asia. Customer feedback is favourable.
The company is currently working on the Aurora 1100, a HVM R2P NIL tool. This tool has the same substrate size (1100×1300 mm) as the Portis NIL 1100, but with improved technical specifications and fully equipped for HVM. The first Aurora will be delivered in Q2 2025, to a company which delivers software platforms for next-gen Glasses-Free 3D displays.
The management of MPH consist of Jan Matthijs ter Meulen (CEO & Co-founder), Bram Titulaer (CPO & Co-founder), Irma van der Kaaij (CFO), and Maurice Berden (COO). Jan Matthijs and Bram laid the foundation of the R2P technology. Total people at work (including management) ca. 40.
There is a three-headed Supervisory Board (SB) since 2019.
The First Opinion of Stichting TechnologyRating, MNP’s internal rating agency, was positive. MPH satisfies all admission criteria for MNP’s Virtual Accelerator. The HVM NIL Aurora 1100 seems poised to become a game-changer for the mass-production of next-gen displays if this perceived emerging market is a market-in-waiting (for lack of a HVM production solution) and not a mirage. If the first becomes true, the chicken-egg problem is solved.
After a successful Challenge the MNP Jury admitted MPH to the MNP Virtual Accelerator. The Jury stated: “The company has a lot of potential, which were to be realized with a strong market approach”.
Rob van der Werf (Director Public & Private Partnerships, ASML) and Marloes van de Wal (MD Innovation Strategy & Transformation, Vanderlande) are nominated as co-coaches.
Go to the website: www.morphotonics.com
Morphotonics Founded: 2014
Joined: 2023
Contact person: Jan Matthijs ter Meulen: jan.matthijs.ter.meulen@morphotonics.com