High-power blue laser technology developer Nuburu (Centennial, CO) has raised $20 million in Series B funding to accelerate development of the company’s high brightness AI Series industrial product line and to expand its presence in the energy storage, e-mobility, and 3D printing markets.
The round, which was co-led by Anzu Partners, an industrial technology investment firm, and by Thomas Wilson, chair, president, and chief executive officer of The Allstate Corporation, brings Nuburu’s total funding to nearly $50 million. Wilson, along with Ron Nicol, former senior partner and managing director of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), will join Anzu managing partners David Michael and David Seldin on the Nuburu board of directors.
Nuburu’s blue lasers have uses in metal processing operations such as welding and additive manufacturing in a variety of growing industries like e-mobility and automotive, where materials such as copper, stainless steel, and aluminum are increasingly critical. The lasers are said to leverage a fundamental physical advantage to produce defect-free welds up to 4X faster than traditional approaches.
The funding comes on the heels of the key executive appointments of Dr. Guy Gilliland and Chris Baldwin as CEO and CFO, respectively. Their experiences growing global technology companies, paired with this additional funding, sets the company up for additional product innovation and progression into new markets in the coming year.
The new funding, Gilliland explains, will allow the company to advance its Denver, CO-based automated production facility and accelerate development of its ultra-high brightness product family.
Thomas Wilson, who co-led the investment round and will join the Nuburu board of directors, is also chairman emeritus of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Ron Nicol currently serves as a senior advisor with BCG following a 30-year career where he led the firm’s global technology practice. He has advised many of the world’s largest electronics manufacturing companies. Nicol also has a degree in physics from the United States Naval Academy. Both Wilson and Nicol are active leaders in global industry, and their corporate development expertise and senior advisory roles will aid Nuburu as it expands its customer base.
For more information, please visit nuburu.net.