University of Cambridge spin-out Porotech has today announced the appointment of former Arm executive Helen Adams as chief commercial officer (CCO). During her 11 years at Cambridge-based chip designer Arm, Helen rose through the ranks to become vice-president of sales for Europe and the Asia Pacific region – leading a team delivering $1 billion annual sales revenue.

Porotech is aiming to transform next-generation display technology with brighter, sharper and more vivid microdisplays for VR and AR HMDs and other small devices such as smartphones.

Smart pixels

The company’s micro-LED production technique uses a new class of semiconductor material – porous gallium nitride (GaN) – that offers performance improvements for mass production, yet can be customised for individual needs. It is particularly useful in outdoor settings, where sunlight can often make existing displays difficult to see clearly.

Porotech’s next step is to expand its novel approach to integrate InGaN-based red, green and blue (RGB) micro-LEDs for full-colour microdisplays – and ultimately create ‘smart’ pixels that can be controlled independently for unrivalled responsiveness and accuracy for things like AR gestures.

The next phase

“With a track record of success in technology sales and sales management in the semiconductor industry, Helen is an excellent fit for our growing business,” said Porotech CEO and co-founder Dr Tongtong Zhu. “We are already seeing high levels of demand for our products and in June we raised £3 million to fund further development work. Helen’s appointment is the next step along our scale-up trajectory.”

“I am delighted to be joining such a dynamic organisation that has already achieved so much,” said Helen. “I am really looking forward to being part of the team that drives the next phase of Porotech’s growth.”