Feature Story

TOUCH SCREEN MAKER STANTUM GRABS $13M

Stantum Technologies Inc., developer of multi-touch interfaces for wired and wireless devices, has raised a $13 million Series B round from a host of European investors as it expands into Japan and the United States.

Based in Bordeaux, France, and founded in 2002 under the name JazzMutant, the company sells its licensed designs for touch screens to semiconductor companies, which build the systems and sell them to device makers, co-founder Guillaume Largillier said.

The round, which brings the company's total venture funding to $15.6 million, was co-led by CDC Innovation and Auriga Partners, both based in Paris. Also participating was XAnge Private Equity, the company said.

"This round enables us to fill large demand without consuming much capital," Largillier said, adding that the company expects to reach profitability by 2010.

In 2002, the company launched its JazzMutant product, which is a multi-touch screen program for musicians, and which is still in use. Subsequently, the company began developing touch screens for other applications, and hence changed its name, Largillier said.

Stantum has been working on screens for mobile phones, as well as other mobile Internet devices, for instance Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle reader.

Numerous industries have uses for more tactile interfaces on their various devices, Largillier said, including automotive, medical, aerospace, industrial control and point of sale.

With the Series B in hand, Stantum will open offices in California and in Japan, Largillier said. "There is a lot of demand in Asia and the U.S.," he added.

Valery Huot of CDC Innovation and Philippe Granger will join the company's board as a result of the round. Stantum previously raised a $2.6 million Series A round, which was led by XAnge Private Equity, according to company materials.

Largillier did not give a valuation for the company, which has 25 employees.

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