ZEISS buys Scotland's Ceres to speed holographic windshield displays
What's the deal? ZEISS has acquired Ceres HolographicsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a holographic technology company based in Livingston, Scotland, for an undisclosed sum. Ceres becomes part of ZEISS MicroopticsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the business unit focused on industrialising holography for automotive, aerospace, and consumer markets.
What do they do? Founded in 2009, Ceres specialises in hologram manufacturing technology, with a focus on holographic windshield display (HWD) applications for carmakers. ZEISS brings its ProSight platform, the holography foundation underpinning a range of industrial applications.
What's the endgame? ZEISS wants to turn holography "from a future promise into near-term market reality" for the auto industry, combining Ceres' manufacturing technology with its own global scale, production capabilities, and customer access.
Why now? Ceres has built commercial relationships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), positioning itself in a market it describes as moving from concept to commercial reality. The deal adds team resources and reach to accelerate that shift.
What's next? Beyond windshields, ZEISS plans to use the added capability to enter broader holographic markets, including retail, near-to-eye displays, and public transportation.
"Together, we will write a new chapter in holography commercialization, driving faster industrialization and unlocking broader market entry," said Dr. Roman Kleindienst, head of ZEISS Microoptics.
Andy Travers, who leads Ceres Holographics, said joining ZEISS "gives us the opportunity to build on that success and achieve greater scale, with more resource and global reach."
The signal: By folding a specialist startup into a large optics group, ZEISS is betting that scale and manufacturing muscle can push holographic displays out of the lab and onto the road.
Read more: prnewswire.com
Image credit: jurvetson
