Samsung Venture Investment Company, the corporate venturing unit of the eponymous South Korea-based conglomerate, is understood to be the sole investor in the €8.25m ($11m) round for Novaled, a Germany-based organic light-emitting diode (OLED) maker.
Samsung Ventures joins the portfolio company’s other investors, which in April had included venture capital firms ECapital, Crédit Agricole Private Equity, TechnoStart, TechFund and CDC Innovation, having invested in primary shares and buying out others.
In January 2009, Novaled had raised €8.5m in its series C round from existing shareholders ECapital, TechnoStart, KfW and Tudag, Credit Agricole Private Equity, TechFund and CDC Innovation. State bank KfW has subsequently started to cut its direct and indirect venture investing. The B round closed at €15m in January 2005 and the first round at €5.75m in May 2003.
Novaled opened its second representative office in Korea in July, six years after Samsung first began testing its OLEDs, as the country is a centre for flat panel display, low power lighting and efficient and flexible solar cells.
Novaled said its annual sales for last year increased by 37% to €11.2m and was just positive for earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.