Poro Technologies (Porotech), is a spin-out from the University of Cambridge focusing on GaN material technology. The company has closed a GBP 1.5 million (US$ 1.86 million) seed round investment.

According to the report of Cambridge, the investment will support Porotech to develop a pilot plant in Cambridge and its first major products. The seed round was co-led by Cambridge Enterprise, the commercialization arm of the University of Cambridge, and IQ Capital Partners, with the additional participation of Martlet Capital and a syndicate of angel investors from Cambridge Angels and Cambridge Capital Group.

Poro Technologies co-founders: Dr Tongtong Zhu (CEO), Professor Rachel Oliver (CSO), Dr Yingjun Liu (CTO)

Porotech focuses on the development of high performance and energy efficient wide-bandgap compound GaN semiconductors by applying material technologies and solutions to unleash the full potential of GaN.

Porotech’s production process allows the controlled creation of a new class of porous GaN semiconductor materials and structures, which provide enhanced functionality. Porous GaN could be regarded as a semiconductor composite of solid GaN and air. It enables Porotech to engineer a wide range of material properties, such as optical, mechanical, thermal and electrical, and consequently offers an entirely new material platform for semiconductor devices to be built upon.

With the GaN technology, Porotech aims to extend the possibility of GaN technologies, targeting specific final device application for the cost-effective manufacture of LEDs, lasers, power electronics, quantum light sources, sensors and solar cells.