Nextreme Thermal Solutions, a developer of next-generation thermoelectric materials and devices, has secured $8 million in Series A financing. Nextreme is a spin-off of R&D company RTI International. SpaceVest, Aurora Funds, Harris & Harris Group and RTI International provided the funding, which will be used to develop thermoelectric devices to address acute thermal management problems in the semiconductor industry and to further develop the application base, including power generation and optical communications. Nextreme's technology, a thin-film superlattice material made from a semiconductor alloy, emerged from RTI's work with the U.S. Department of Defense. The Office of Naval Research and the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency have provided funding since 1993 for the company's development of the new materials and devices. Nextreme's superlattice material, when placed directly under a semiconductor hot spot, can efficiently pump heat from the semiconductor package. The form-factor of this ultra-thin thermoelectric device enables direct integration onto the semiconductor or into the chip package. Former RTI entrepreneur-in-residence Jesko von Windheim will lead Nextreme as CEO. Prior to his work with RTI, von Windheim was a co-founder of Cronos Integrated Microsystems, a MEMS company that was acquired for $750 million by JDS Uniphase.


Jesko von Windheim, CEO; Tel: 919 541-6000; www.nextremethermal.com.