Novaled IPO to reward academics

Novaled, a Germany-based organic light-emitting diode (OLED) maker, plans to raise $200m in its US flotation.

In September, Samsung Venture Investment Company, the corporate venturing unit of the eponymous South Korea-based conglomerate, was revealed by Global Corporate Venturing to be the sole investor in the €8.25m ($11m) round for Novaled, a Germany-based organic light-emitting diode (OLED) maker. In its regulatory filing, Novaled said Samsung owned 9.84% after this September round.

Samsung Ventures had joined the portfolio company’s other investors, which in April had included venture capital firms ECapital, Crédit Agricole Private Equity (Cape), Zweite TechnoStart, TechFund and CDC Innovation, having invested in primary shares and buying out others.

The regulatory filing said Zweite TechnoStart owned 16.2%, Cape owned 15.1%, TechFund 13.4%, Ecapital 10.9%, state fund BFH also 9.8% and CDC 9%. Novaled said it was founded in 2001 as a spin-off from the Technical University and Fraunhofer Institute in Dresden, Germany, both of which are leading German research institutions in the field of materials science and technology, and they remain shareholders.

In January 2009, Novaled had raised €8.5m in its series C round from existing shareholders ECapital, TechnoStart, KfW and Tudag, Credit Agricole Private Equity, TechFund and CDC Innovation. State bank KfW has subsequently started to cut its direct and indirect venture investing. The B round closed at €15m in January 2005 and the first round at €5.75m in May 2003.

Novaled opened its second representative office in Korea in July, six years after Samsung first began testing its OLEDs, as the country is a centre for flat panel display, low power lighting and efficient and flexible solar cells. The company reported net profit of €3.6m on €17.4m in 2011 revenue, 60% of which came from Samsung.

Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank are serving as co-lead underwriters.