LED technology expert from Jena/Germany gains new investor

The Finnish Venture Capital Company, VNT Management Oy invests around two million EUR in the LED Driver Expert dilitronics GmbH – the young technology company received 2008 the initial funding from the High-Tech Gründerfonds. The second financing round made by the VNT Power Fund II will enable the extension of dilitronics’ ASIC product portfolio and support the international market.

The company based in Jena (Germany) has developed technology for the energy efficient and intelligent control of light emitting diodes (LEDs) based on its patented controlLED technology. A large number of high power LEDs can be operated in parallel by the controLED-ASICs developed by dilitronics. The ASIC provides a very cost effective solution for lighting applications.

“The LED illumination technology represents a rapidly growing market. LEDs constantly open new fields of applications due to their high energy efficiency, miniaturized size, and robustness. The LED power electronic drive circuits developed by dilitronics enable the customers to utilize the numerous advantages of LEDs for their specific applications”, said Torsten Wipiejewski, PHD, partner at VNT Management.

dilitronics GmbH develops and distributes its products in the areas of general illumination, industrial illumination, display backlighting, and automotive lighting. The ASICs and power drivers of the controLED product line allow a highly efficient and intelligent control of LEDs. With the emergence of LEDs as light sources in many applications the control electronics represents the key to innovative illumination solutions. “At the end 2009 the European Union imposed a ban of the traditional 100W incandescent light bulb across Europe. Until 2012 light bulbs of lower power and halogen lamps with low energy efficiency will also be removed from the market. Here as well as in other new applications LEDs offer the perfect alternative and dilitronics will drive them”, said Andreas Olmes, PhD, Senior Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds.

About dilitronics GmbH:
dilitronics GmbH develops and distributes its products in the areas of general illumination, industrial illumination, display backlighting, and automotive lighting. The ASICs and power drivers of the controLED product line allow a highly efficient and intelligent control of LEDs. With the emergence of LEDs as light sources in many applications the control electronics represents the key to innovative illumination solutions.

Contact:
dilitronics GmbH
Moritz-von-Rohr-Str. 1a
D-07745 Jena, Germany
Phone: +49 3641 8757570
Fax: +49 3641 8757579
contact@dilitronics.com
www.dilitronics.com

About VNT Management:
VNT Management Oy is a Venture Capital Management company based in Finland and with an office in Munich, Germany.VNT Management is one of the first VC companies in Europe focusing on cleantech technologies in particular renewable energies, decentralized power generation, and energy saving technologies. At present, VNT Management has two funds with a total investment capital of €80M under management. VNT Management mainly invests into technology orientated start-ups and growth companies in Europe. The large business experience, an active management, and fair play are the characteristics of VNT management.

Contact:
VNT Management Oy
Torsten Wipiejewski, PhD
German Office
Dachauer Str. 37
80335 Munich, Germany
Mobile: +49 162 4159152
Phone: +49 89 54558312
torsten@vntm.com
www.vntm.com

About the High-Tech Gründerfonds:
The High-Tech Gründerfonds invests risk capital in young, high-potential technology companies that convert promising research results in business success. By means of the seed financing of up to 500,000 EUR the start-ups shall carry on with the R & D project until the provision of a prototype or a “proof of concept“ or until the lancing on the market. The High-Tech Gründerfonds has a funds volume of about 272 million EUR. Investors of the Public Private Partnership are the German Federal Ministry for Economy and Technology, the KfW Banking Group and the six industrial company groups BASF, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Robert Bosch, Daimler, and Carl Zeiss.

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Andreas Olmes, PhD
Senior Investment Manager
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn, Germany
Phone: +49 228 96568500
Fax: +49 228 96568550
info@high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de