Magna Forms JV with Micro-LED Startup

Magna International Inc.’s electronics subsidiary has formed a joint venture with Rohinni LLC, a 5-year-old Idaho startup that specializes in ultra-bright micro-LED technology.

Magna will hold a controlling stake in Magna Rohinni Automotive, which will be based in Holly, Mich. The Canadian supplier also has made an unspecified investment in Rohinni that will give it a minority stake in the startup.

Invented in 2000, micro-LEDs use tiny diodes (as small as 25 microns) that can be printed on a paper-thin conductive layer, which may be applied to virtually any surface. The technology promises to provide the size, design flexibility and vibrancy of emerging OLED systems at a much lower cost.

Rohinni says micro-LEDs also are 10 times brighter and consume considerably less power than OLED displays. The company has developed a proprietary robotic process to quickly and precisely position micro-LEDs onto a substrate surface for high-volume applications.

Rohinni says it has 80 current and pending patents related to the micro-LEDs. Several other companies also are working to commercialize the technology, including Apple through its 2014 acquisition of LuxVue Technology.

A video about Rohinni’s technology can be viewed here. Among the company’s previous investors is Tony Fadell, who helped invent the iPhone and iPod when he worked at Apple.