Nextreme Thermal Solutions (Durham, NC), known to many in the photonics industry as a maker of thermoelectric coolers, embedded thermoelectric coolers (which can, for example, be integrated into laser-diode packages), and thin-film thermoelectric coolers, today announced that it has raised $8 million in additional Series B financing from undisclosed corporate investors. Nextreme has now raised more than $21 million in Series B financing and $35 million since its inception in 2004.
In addition to cooling and heating, Nextreme's thermoelectric technology can be used to generate electric power from heat sources. One particular form of this, called "energy harvesting," exploits heat that would otherwise be wasted—for example, in automobile exhausts—to provide supplementary power, or to power remote devices. As technology becomes more "green," this could be a very lucrative market, and Nextreme is understandably interested in it.
In addition to LED, laser-diode, and photodetector cooling, Nextreme produces devices for use in electronics applications such as CPU/GPU hot spot cooling, power MOSFET cooling, and thermal control in consumer products.
Nextreme's technology is driven by form factor, device performance and cost—all of which are expected to drive adoption of this technology and fuel the company's growth, according to the company. "This funding from corporate investors represents a very significant validation of our company and technology, especially during these challenging times," said Jesko von Windheim, CEO of Nextreme. "With our Series B financing now fully in place, the company is well positioned to execute its product-development and sales plan over the next two years."
