[News] CATL Invest in Starksemi, a Hint at the Deployment of GaN-Based Micro LED

On September 4, Starksemi Semiconductor(Wuhan) Co., Ltd. announced the completion of a new funding round exceeding CNY 1 billion. The investment was led by CATL’s Puquan Capital, with participation from Meituan Longzhu, Guotai Haitong, Youshan Capital, CDH Hong Kong, and state-owned investment platforms from Chongqing and Jiangsu.

Starksemi focuses on the development of 8-inch GaN-on-Silicon Micro LED technology, operating under an IDM model. The company’s capabilities span GaN epitaxy, chip fabrication, and wafer bonding.

Compared to traditional 4-inch sapphire-based processes, the 8-inch silicon-based architecture leverages established semiconductor foundry ecosystems to enhance Micro LED mass-production capabilities in terms of wafer size, process integration, and scalability.

In September 2025, Starksemi completed an 8-inch GaN-on-Silicon Micro LED full-process pilot production line with a planned annual capacity of approximately 12,000 wafers.

It has achieved mass production for its monochromatic Micro LED chips, while simultaneously advancing product adoption by Tier-1 customers and product qualification. Planning and construction for a 12-inch mass-production line are currently underway.

Full-color integration remains one of the critical hurdles for commercializing Micro LED. Starksemi pursues dual technical routes for red light—AlGaInP and InGaN—and released a full series of RGB Micro LED micro-displays in May last year.

Beyond micro-displays, the company is expanding Micro LED applications into AI data center optical interconnects, with samples currently provided to industry partners for validation and testing to accelerate commercialization.

It’s also worth noting that the company has completed several rounds of funding this year:

• April: Secured investments from Liangjiang Capital, Youshan Capital, Shanghai Pudong Science and Technology Investment (PDSTI), Yufu Holding, and Legend Capital.
• June: Received follow-on investment from the Jiangsu State-Owned Enterprise Mixed Ownership Reform Fund.
• July 13: Closed a funding round of several hundred million CNY, involving strategic and financial investors such as CDH Hong Kong.

With this latest round exceeding CNY 1 billion, the company’s cumulative funding has surpassed CNY 2.5 billion.

(Photo credit: FREEPIK)