US-based touch-interface technology developer Sensel expanded a series A round featuring semiconductor design services provider Smit and quantitative trading firm Susquehanna International Group to $28m yesterday.
The round includes Morningside Group, Chariot Gold, SV Tech Ventures, Innolinks Ventures and Palm Commerce Holdings, possibly a vehicle for lottery software provider Palm Commerce Information Technology. Sensel has not disclosed details of the tranches’ respective sizes.
Founded in 2013, Sensel develops high-resolution, multi-touch sensors that provide feedback within computer-based interfaces such as touchscreens and laptop trackpads.
The company’s PressureGrid technology combines two sensors into a single unit in order to recognise both positional accuracy and force, facilitating original form factors and resilience in challenging environmental conditions.
The capital will be used to expand Sensel’s production, customer support and supply chain capacity as it looks to win contracts with mobile device manufacturers. It will also support commercialisation of Sensel’s first product, a tablet-sized pressure sensor called Morph.
Sensel had previously raised $10m in equity funding in November 2018, according to a regulatory filing. It named Stanford-StartX Fund, Green City Ventures, U.Life Fund, Waterwood Growth Technology, Inventec, CRCM Ventures and Tuesday Capital as existing investors.
Hy Shuai, president and chief operating officer of Smit, said: “Smit is excited to be an investor of Sensel, a company with the leading-edge force sensing technology and its own [intellectual property].
“The strong funding is clear recognition of its R&D excellence and market acceptance. We look forward to the abundant opportunities in deployments including but not limited to mobile, notebooks, etc.”
Image courtesy of Sensel, Inc.