Samsung and LG invest $30 million in Germany’s Cynora to create more efficient OLED displays

Samsung, via its investment arm Samsung Ventures, and LG, through its LG Display division, have invested €25 million ($30 million) in German OLED company Cynora.

With OLED emerging as the technology of choice for displays across mobile devices and TVs, companies are now working to create a new class of OLED emitter materials that promise a greater lifespan and more efficiency, without reliance on heavy metals.

Founded out of Bruchsal, Germany in 2008, Cynora touts itself as a leader in TADF (thermally activated delayed fluorescence) technology and is currently focused on creating a new kind of organic “high-efficiency” blue OLED-emitting material. Other companies working in this field include Japan-based Kyulux, which started operations in 2015 and which has also garnered investment from both Samsung and LG — the Korean duo joined a $13.5 million funding initiative in the company last year, with Samsung Ventures leading the round.

Cynora’s goal is to commercialize its product with major OLED display makers, which include both LG and Samsung. For the record, Samsung is reportedly the sole supplier for the OLED displays in Apple’s recently announced smartphone triumvirate, which includes the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

If companies such as Cynora and Kyulux can bring their materials to future OLED displays, it will help reduce power consumption and also enable higher-resolution screens.

“This investment confirms that our materials are highly attractive for the OLED display industry,” noted Cynora CEO Gildas Sorin. “Cynora will work in close collaboration with LG and Samsung to support their respective activities. The cash injection will also be used to strengthen our worldwide presence as a supplier of high-efficiency emitting materials.”

Cynora plans to commercialize its first “blue” product by the end of this year, and it plans to develop materials for green and red in OLED displays by 2019.