Highlights
- Industry luminaries Prof. Steven DenBaars and Dr Richard Craig to lead BluGlass’ Industry Advisory Board established to accelerate commercial advancement and technical roadmap
- DenBaars is one of the world’s foremost experts in GaN laser development and commercialisation
- Co-founded Soraa Laser Diode and oversaw its acquisition by Kyocera Corporation for $450 million in 2021, a significant milestone in commercialising GaN lasers; and is a Scientific Advisor to Seoul Viosys Corp., and holds the Mitsubishi Chemical Chair in Solid State Lighting
- Richard Craig led multiple semiconductor laser companies, both venture funded start-ups and large publicly traded industry leaders
- Developed and managed the laser pump business that led to the $41B acquisition of Spectra Diode Lasers (SDL, Inc.) by JDSU Uniphase, representing the largest technology merger to date at the time of announcement in 2000
- Industry Advisory Board complements and leverages technical advice provided by SSLEEC and CLAWS Hub Consortium advisers Nobel Laureate Prof. Shuji Nakamura, Prof. Fred Kish, and Prof. John Muth
- Industry Advisory Board members have elected to receive equity in lieu of cash compensation, reinforcing their confidence in BluGlass’ future growth.
Global semiconductor developer, BluGlass Limited, pioneering advanced visible laser technology, has established an Industry Advisory Board led by luminaries Professor Steven DenBaars and Richard Craig, to accelerate BluGlass’ technical roadmap and commercial advancement of its gallium nitride (GaN) laser portfolio for the global quantum, defence, and biotech markets.
Steven DenBaars is a globally recognised industry luminary with a distinguished career in materials science, technology commercialisation, and leadership. Prof. DenBaars co-founded Soraa Laser Diode, Inc., where he served as Chair and CEO until its acquisition by Kyocera Corporation for $450 million in January 2021. This acquisition marked a significant milestone in commercialising GaN-based laser technology.
A Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, DenBaars co-directs the Solid State Lighting & Energy Electronics Center (SSLEEC) and holds the Mitsubishi Chemical Chair in Solid State Lighting and Displays. His pioneering research in gallium nitride (GaN) materials and devices has fundamentally advanced solid-state lighting and display technologies.
Dr Richard Craig has held senior executive positions at the largest most successful semiconductor laser companies in the world, including serving as President and Chief Scientist at Oclaro, and Senior Vice President at SDL and JDSU (now Lumentum). At SDL Craig developed and managed the laser pump business – the key technology that led to the acquisition of SDL by JDSU for $41B in 2000, representing the largest recorded technology acquisition at the time of announcement.
Craig was the CEO of venture funded start-ups Santur, Picarro, Topanga Technologies, and Kaai, and President of Soraa and Soraa Laser Diode. Funded by Khosla Ventures, Kaai and Soraa were Gallium Nitride based start-ups founded by Shuji Nakamura and Steve DenBaars. Craig currently serves on the Board of multiple high technology laser companies.
The Industry Advisory Board will provide strategic guidance on technology development, market positioning, and commercial partnerships to augment BluGlass’ position as a leader in GaN laser solutions and accelerate its go-to-market strategy. The Board will complement and leverage technical advice provided by BluGlass’ SSLEEC and CLAWS Hub Consortium advisers; Nobel Laureate and tech titan Prof. Shuji Nakamura, Prof. Fred Kish, and Prof. John Muth.
BluGlass CEO Jim Haden said, “We are honoured to have esteemed industry leaders Prof. Steven DenBaars and Richard Craig lead BluGlass’ new Industry Advisory Board, formalising the long-standing relationship we have with these industry pioneers.
“Prof. DenBaars’ world-renowned expertise and strategic leadership combined with Dr Craig’s successful 30-year record of transitioning advanced technology companies to profitable, high-growth commercial entities will propel BluGlass to the next stage of commercial growth.
“The Advisory Board’s focus will be to advance our go-to-market strategy and competitive position, which provides a structured path to scale by leveraging joint development projects to generate early revenue while building a pipeline of future product customers.
“Prof. DenBaars and Dr Craig’s invaluable expertise and networks will build and accelerate the momentum of the past year, helping us identify new commercial partnerships with industry, defence primes, and government, that not only provide near-term revenue, but position us for multi-year manufacturing contracts.
“Their decision to accept equity as compensation aligns their interests with shareholders and speaks to their confidence in both our technology and ability to meet the significant unmet global demand for high-quality precision lases critical for all advanced applications.
“The new advisory board will collaborate closely and leverage the technical expertise provided by our Consortium Advisers, Prof. Shuji Nakamura, and Director CLAWS Prof. John Muth, and Deputy Director CLAWS, Fred Kish. Collectively, our advisers comprise a stellar group of experts to advance BluGlass towards full commercialisation and profitability.”
Prof. Steven Denbaars said, “I am thrilled to join BluGlass’ Industry Advisory Board, to exploit the rapidly growing opportunities for GaN lasers in what are set to be globally transformational applications, such as quantum sensing, quantum navigation, and quantum computing. BluGlass and UCSB’s pioneering work in ultra-precision GaN DFB lasers provides highly strategic competitive advantages. I believe the company is at an exciting inflection point, and I’m pleased to work with BluGlass’ talented team as they continue to push the boundaries of technological advancement.
Dr Richard Craig said, “I see immense potential in BluGlass. Its technological capability is highly sought by industry as it meets an unmet market need for high-performance, cost-effective, and scalable GaN lasers with superior precision to enable the world’s most advanced quantum, medical, and defence applications, to name a few. I have full confidence in BluGlass’ commercialisation strategy and am excited to help the business advance scaling and drive market adoption.”
This announcement has been approved for release by the BluGlass Board.
