LiDAR technology firm Blickfeld announces extension of Series A funding to $31m

December 8, 2021

New investment supports the development of new products and internationalization of business

Munich, December 8, 2021 – Blickfeld, the Munich-based start-up developing breakthrough high performance and mass-producible LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensing technology, announces the extension of the company’s Series A funding to $31 million. New Future Capital (NFC), a private equity firm that provides growth capital primarily in Asia, North America, and Europe, was won as a new investor. Furthermore, all existing investors participated in the round including Bayern Kapital, Continental, Fluxunit – ams OSRAM Ventures, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Tengelmann Ventures, and UVC Partners.

The extension of financing comes at a time of significant growth for Blickfeld´s business, as well as its expansion into new markets. The company plans further development of sensors and software which continue to revolutionize the reliable capturing and utilization of 3D data.

Founded by Dr. Mathias Müller, Dr. sc. Florian Petit and Rolf Wojtech in 2017, Blickfeld develops and produces LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors and perception software. The solutions provide high-resolution three-dimensional environmental information enabling countless groundbreaking applications, spanning from autonomous transportation and mobility, through to smart cities, industrial use, and security.

Since the last funding, Blickfeld has already taken significant steps forward in launching products to market, including the series production launch of its versatile 3D-LiDAR sensors, Cube 1 and Cube Range 1, for multiple industrial applications. Furthermore, the company executed multiple large-scale rollout projects, such as passenger flow detection at airports and volume measurement of bulk material in product warehouses.

In addition to the company’s current resellers in 13 countries, including Germany, Canada, China, and Japan, the new financing round will support the opening of offices in the US and Asia and therefore promote Blickfeld´s international foothold. The new offices will be dedicated to expanding Blickfeld´s network of integrators thus making products accessible in applications worldwide faster and in larger quantities, serving the growing demand in the US and Asia as key markets. Alongside growth into new markets, the number of employees will rise significantly with a focus on the sales team.

Early in 2022, Blickfeld will add to its product range with new breakthrough perception software technology with features including object detection, classification, tracking, and counting. Fields of application for this new product include industry, smart traffic, security, unmanned aerial vehicles, and people analytics. The latter signals a significant opportunity for the global application of Blickfeld technology, by providing crucial data on congestion, crowd management, wait times, and more – whilst maintaining the privacy of members of the public.

The additional funding in this round of investment signals the continued confidence our investors hold in our vision to capture and analyze the world with a comprehensive solution. We are proud to say that our solutions are now being utilized by businesses and organizations across the globe! Now we are accelerating on our journey of internationalization and strive to further diversify our unique product range through this funding. Our new investor NFC´s strong network in Asia and the US will be of great value for Blickfeld to gain a firm foothold in the US and Asia quickly and substantially.

Dr. Mathias Müller, co-founder and CEO of Blickfeld

As a long-term partner, we have been supporting Blickfeld from the beginning. Combining their proprietary MEMS technology with our industry leading 905 nm Edge Emitting Laser components, Blickfeld’s sensors show the capabilities of scanning LiDAR technology in real-world use cases and in industrial scale. We are looking forward to accompany their growth path in the future.

Jörg Strauß, Senior Vice President & General Manager Business Line Visualization & Laser at ams OSRAM

We are delighted to be supporting Blickfeld during this exciting period of growth. The opportunities ahead for the business and its technology in providing groundbreaking new perspectives for major industries across the globe are inspiring. We look forward to bringing in our expertise and broad network in the US and Asia and being a part of the company’s successes as it enters new markets and continues to demonstrate its market potential.

Tiffany Luo, CEO at New Future Capital

About Blickfeld
Founded in 2017 and based in Munich, Germany, Blickfeld provides cutting-edge LiDAR sensors and perception software, enabling countless mobility and IoT applications. The Blickfeld LiDAR products meet extremely demanding technical specifications concerning the performance, cost and dimensions required for the mass market. Blickfeld is backed by Bayern Kapital, Continental, Fluxunit – ams OSRAM Ventures, High-Tech Gründerfonds, New Future Capital, Tengelmann Ventures, and UVC Partners.
www.blickfeld.com

Press contact
R. Agency
Kirsty Five
+44 7515 554 845
kirsty@wearer.agency

About Bayern Kapital
Bayern Kapital GmbH, based in Landshut, Germany, was founded as an initiative of the Bavarian government in 1995. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bavarian LfA Förderbank. As the venture and growth capital organisation of the Free State of Bavaria, Bayern Kapital provides equity capital financing for the founders of young innovative technology companies in Bavaria. Bayern Kapital manages specialized investment funds with a total volume of around EUR 700 million. So far, it has invested more than EUR 350 million in about 300 innovative technology companies in various sectors including life sciences, software & IT, medical technology, materials & new materials, nanotechnology and environmental technology. From an early stage during the realization of different projects and also during large-volume financing rounds, Bayern Kapital has supported companies such as EOS Electro Optical Systems, congatec, MorphoSys, voxeljet, parcelLab, SimScale, some of which are listed on stock exchanges and are now market leaders in their respective sectors. In this way, more than 8,000 long-term jobs in sustainable companies have been created in Bavaria. 
www.bayernkapital.de/en

About Continental
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2020, Continental generated sales of €37.7 billion and currently employs more than 192,000 people in 58 countries and markets. On October 8, 2021, the company celebrated its 150th anniversary.
https://www.continental.com/en/

About Fluxunit – ams OSRAM Ventures
Fluxunit – ams OSRAM Ventures is the independent venture capital arm of OSRAM. Building on OSRAM’s leading market position, Fluxunit invests in deep-tech start-ups, which reach beyond OSRAM’s core business and have the potential to disrupt and innovate existing technologies and business models. Fluxunit’s goal is to offer start-ups not only capital, but also access to OSRAM’s resources and global network as a high-tech corporation in order to foster and accelerate their development.
www.fluxunit.de

About New Future Capital (NFC)
One of the most prominent investors in Greater China, New Future Capital is focused on automotive sector with offices in Taipei and Shanghai. By leveraging our industry expertise and operational capabilities, the firm seeks to partner with entrepreneurs to transform and grow the businesses together amid rapid innovation. With a hands-on approach at strategy and operational levels, we continue to support entrepreneurial values with a full alignment of long-term interests.
www.newfuturecapital.com

About Tengelmann Ventures
Tengelmann Ventures is one of Germany’s leading venture capital investors and has invested in over 50 companies over the past 10 years, many of which have become global players and market leaders in their particular segment. Tengelmann Ventures focuses on early-stage investment in startups in the fields of Consumer Internet, Digital Services and Emerging Technologies. Among the most well-known investments of Tengelmann Ventures are companies such as Zalando (IPO), Delivery Hero (IPO), Klarna, Scalable Capital and data Artisans.
https://tengelmann-ventures.com

About UVC Partners
UVC Partners is a Munich- and Berlin-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in European B2B startups in the areas of enterprise software, industrial technologies and mobility. The fund typically invests between €0.5M – 5M initially and up to €20M in total per company. Portfolio companies benefit from the extensive investment and exit experience of the management team as well as from the close cooperation with UnternehmerTUM, Europe’s leading innovation and business creation center. With over 300 employees and more than 100 industry partners, UnternehmerTUM can draw from many years of experience in establishing young companies. This cooperation enables UVC Partners to offer startups unique access to talent, industry customers, and other financial partners.
www.uvcpartners.com

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is a seed investor that finances high-potential, tech-driven start-ups. With around EUR 900 million in total investment volume across three funds and an international network of partners, HTGF has already helped forge more than 650 start-ups since 2005. Driven by their expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and passion, its team of experienced investment managers and startup experts help guide the development of young companies. HTGF’s focus is on high-tech start-ups in the fields of digital tech, industrial technology, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. To date, external investors have injected more than EUR 3.5 billion into the HTGF portfolio via more than 1,800 follow-on financing rounds. HTGF has also successfully sold interests in more than 140 companies.

Investors in this public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry For Economic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capital, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e.V., as well as the companies ALTANA, BASF, BAYER, B.Braun, Boehringer Ingelheim, Robert Bosch, BÜFA, CEWE, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Post DHL, Dräger, 1+1 AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, FOND OF, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, Körber, LANXESS, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, QIAGEN, RWE Generation SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Gruppe, STIHL, Thüga, Vector Informatik, WACKER and Wilh. Werhahn KG.

Media contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Stefanie Grüter, Head of Marketing & Communications
T.: +49 228 82300 188
s.grueter@htgf.de

Investor contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Olaf Joeressen
Schlegelstraße 2
53113 Bonn
T.: +49 228 82300 157
o.joeressen@htgf.de