Former Arm executive joins Porotech
Helen Adams appointed chief commercial officer of Cambridge micro-LED spin-out
University of Cambridge spin-out Porotech has announced the appointment of former Arm executive Helen Adams as chief commercial officer (CCO). During her 11 years at Cambridge-based chip designer Arm, Adams rose through the ranks to become vice-president of sales for Europe and the Asia Pacific region – leading a team delivering $1 billion annual sales revenue.
"With a track record of success in technology sales and sales management in the semiconductor industry, Adams is an excellent fit for our growing business," said Porotech CEO and co-founder Tongtong Zhu. "We are already seeing high levels of demand for our products and in June we raised £3 million to fund further development work. Adams's appointment is the next step along our scale-up trajectory."
Porotechis developing micro-LED production techniques using porous GaN that is said to offer performance improvements that are suitable for mass production yet can be customised for individual needs.
Despite only spinning out in January last year, Porotech has been generating revenue for 13 months, with a string of repeat orders – and is working with some of the biggest global names in display technology. In November 2020, the company launched the world's first commercial native red InGaN LED epiwafer for micro-LED applications. And last month it announced its first partnership – with Jade Bird Display (JBD) in China, a leader in micro-LED display technology.
Micro-LED is the next major leap forward for displays on products such as smartphones and smartwatches, as well as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets. It is particularly useful in outdoor settings, where sunlight can often make existing displays difficult to see clearly.
Porotech’s next step is to expand its novel approach to integrate InGaN-based red, green and blue (RGB) micro-LEDs for full-colour microdisplays – and ultimately create 'smart' pixels that can be controlled independently for unrivalled responsiveness and accuracy for things like AR gestures.
"I am delighted to be joining such a dynamic organisation that has already achieved so much," said Adams. "I am really looking forward to being part of the team that drives the next phase of Porotech's growth.”
