Cambridge-based laser projector start-up Light Blue Optics has attracted $26m in a first round of funding.
“This funding round will allow us to accelerate our product development and commercialisation programme towards the high-volume manufacture of miniature projection systems,” said Light Blue Optics’ CEO Dr Chris Harris.
The round was led by Earlybird Venture Capital and Capital-E. 3i, which led LBO’s $3.5 million seed-funding round, is
also in this round, as is the Government’s NESTA fund.
“There seems to be a lot of interest in projection displays and we feel the projection approach of Light Blue Optics solves many of the issues that need to be addressed,” bid manager Wolfgang Seibold at Earlybird told
EW.
LBO’s technology 
uses fast active holograms to form colour images, with much of its intellectual property in fast processing algorithms to drive the LCD shutter holograms.
The firm claims it will eventually squeeze a full colour projector into a match box and is aiming at markets including automotive, digital signage and consumer electronics.