Illumitex, a US-based LED (light emitting diode) company has secured $9.3m, with prior backer, Switzerland-based agribusiness Syngenta’s corporate venturing unit among the investors.
The $9.3 million round was also joined by US-based real estate consultant Mousse Partners as well as venture firms NEA, Morgan Creek Capital, Apex Venture Partners and DFJ Mercury.
The company added it had hired Chris Hammelef to begin as chief executive next Monday. Hammelef was formerly the general manager of Philips division Hadco Group, one of the largest decorative outdoor lighting companies in North America.
Illumitex said the funding would be used to develop its lighting fixture product lines.
Illumitex began production of precision beam LEDs in 2008 and was founded in 2005.
Syngenta signed a strategic alliance with Illumitex in September, and said it planned to use Illumitex’s LED technology in its greenhouses in order to develop next generation plant production techniques, and Syngenta Ventures invested at the same time.
The Syngenta deal followed a strategic alliance agreement Illumitex signed with the Australia-based Gerard Lighting Group a month earlier, which involved Gerard investing $3m in Illumitex.
A filing with the US Securities and Exchanges Commission in June indicated that Illumitex had also raised $13.5m out of a planned $25.2m, with venture capital firms DFJ Mercury and New Enterprise Associates both participating. Members of both firms were signatories to a $3.4m funding round in December 2010, as well as a representative of prior investor Aweida Ventures.
All three firms invested in Illumitex’s series B round, which raised $5.2m, in April 2009, while Illumitex’s series A round garnered $10.5m, in April 2008, from undisclosed investors.