Financial - Page 10

There are some interesting updates from Pixel-Qi. First of all, they have completed their first tranche of series B finance - good news. Second, they are developing a 7” screen for tablets and e-readers that is planned for mass production in H1 2011. Samples will be available earlier, perhaps by late Q4 2010.

Finally, Pixel-Qi says that they a tight supply chain and Apple’s disruptive iPad had delayed their display production. They say that things are better now, and we should expect production and devices soon (or, at least, device makers will make announcements "coming this fall").

E Ink says that although Samsung was a client, its decision to withdraw from the EPD business will not effect the company significantly - Samsung was a small client, apparently.

Samsung 10.1-inch color e-paper prototype

Qualcomm plans to invest $2 billion in a 4.5 Gen Mirasol production plant. Volume production will being in 2012. The mainly aim to produce 5.7" color panels. There are reports that samples have been shipped to customers already, and at least one 'major client' has started the design-in process.

Mirasol displays claim a 6X power advantage of E Ink, offer a fast response time (enough for Video!) and color.

E Ink says that Hanvon has adopted their color EPD, and will launch the first e-readers that use it in 4Q 2010. The display will use E Ink's latest Pearl EPD with a color filter. E Ink expects color e-readers to account for 10% of the global e-reader market in 2011.

Color E Ink prototype

E Ink has also posted their 2Q financial reports - revenues were $162 million, and their gross margin was 39.6%.

E Ink Holding (previous PVI) has posted their June revenues - $53.04 million (USD). Down 3% sequentially but up 4% on year. E Ink expects its revenues for the second quarter of 2010 to remain flat or increase slightly compared to the first quarter.

Revenues for the third quarter are expected to rise significantly, because there are several new e-readers planned for that time.

Liquavista announced the acquisition of a significant portfolio of IP, which will further strengthen their current electrowetting based display portfolio. They want to become a one-stop-shop for the licensing of electrowetting display technology, and this is a "step forward".

"Our current portfolio already enables us to cover all modes of operation; reflective, transmissive and transflective, as well as providing us with a broad coverage throughout our value proposition” added Johan Feenstra, CTO. “As such, in addition to protecting the core principle of making electrowetting displays in a way that re-uses the current infrastructure, it also covers other areas, including materials and driving methods.".

Liquavista has just raised $9.5 million. We have talked to Johan a few weeks ago, here's the full interview.

Digitimes reports that PVI is planning to invest $500 million to expand its E Ink production business in China. PVI will also collaborate with Fnashu.com and Phoenix publishing for content development.

PVI's plan is to turn Yangzhou into a E Ink production hub, and the investment will cover all sectors: from material supply to device development. PVI hopes that other companies will follow suit and invest in e-paper production in the area.

Liquavista has announced it has raised $9.5 million in a Series D funding round. Liquavista is expecting products using their technology to arrive in 2011. They make monochrome and color e-paper like displays.

Last month we interviewed their CTO.

PVI will triple its E Ink film and back-end modules capacity by the end of 2010 (in a $1.5 million investment). Their chairman says that global e-reader sales may exceed 10 million in 2010. Over 50 new vendors are expected to launch e-readers this year.

TI has collaborated with E Ink to create new chips for E Ink e-readers. The new chips integrate E Ink's e-paper displays with TI power management ICs and OMAP 3 processors - in the world's first power management integrated circuit for E Ink displays. TI has also developed a new software-based display controller.

The companies says that this will result in smaller silicon footprint and cheaper hardware that are more energy efficient than before.