Sentea has been spun out with $1.9m in seed funding to commercialise fibre optic sensor technologies that monitor engineering structures for wear and damage.
Ghent University and Imec have jointly formed Belgium-based silicon photonics producer Sentea with €1.6m ($1.9m) in seed capital from investors including multi-university venture fund Qbic II.
Fidimec, a VC arm of Imec, and Finindus, an investment firm run by steel company ArcelorMittal and the Flemish government, have also provided cash, as have Flemish state-owned economic development firm PMV and members of Sentea’s founding management team.
Sentea will develop fibre optic sensor technologies designed to detect indications of wear and tear to engineering structures, a process known as structural health monitoring that can avert catastrophic failures.
The technology will also help operators control their engineering installations to maximise efficiency. The cash will sustain the spinout’s efforts to develop and launch its inaugural products.
Sentea is the result of two decades’ silicon photonics work by Ghent’s Photonics Research Group, run in partnership with Imec at the university’s Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.
Luc Van den hove, president and CEO of Imec, said: “This firm technology base will provide Sentea a kick-start to develop its sensor technology that is answering an existing need in a broad range of market segments.”
