SMIC Capital leads new round in deep-UV laser maker Klight Laser
What's the deal? Klight LaserDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Chinese maker of ultrafast ultraviolet and deep-ultraviolet lasers, has raised a new funding round led by SMIC Capital. October CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Haihui Capital, Jiangxia Technology Investment, Shangyu Zhitou, and Lizhong InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → joined. The amount was not disclosed.
What does it do? Founded in 2021 in Wuxi by Bao Qiaoliang, Klight develops lasers spanning 355nm, 266nm, 213nm, and 193nm wavelengths. These supply deep-UV light sources for semiconductor wafer defect inspection and photomask inspection equipment.
What's the money for? The company says the capital backs three priorities: upgrading its next-generation deep-UV lasers, expanding production lines for inspection light sources, and building out products for broader semiconductor precision machining. The goal is to cut domestic equipment makers' reliance on imported light sources.
Why now? The round lands as China's semiconductor supply chain races to fill gaps in critical components. Deep-UV light sources — the "eyes" of inspection tools — have long been dominated by a handful of overseas suppliers.
Why SMIC Capital invested: The lead investor said Klight built its seed source, frequency-conversion system, and control modules in-house rather than copying rivals, pushing its product line toward the 193nm deep-UV limit. It also cited the firm's demonstrated mass production and delivery track record, "which is rare among domestic peers." Earlier backers include Wuxi-based Guolian Investment and Xichuangtou.
What could go wrong? The round size is undisclosed, and the company's mass-production and customer-adoption progress lacks independent verification. Light sources for inspection and precision machining are a different market from lithography, so the deal does not place Klight in a lithography supply chain.
The signal: Rising investment in deep-UV lasers shows capital shifting from business-model bets toward patient wagers on foundational hardware. Whether SMIC Capital's lead translates into customer validation, and whether new lines yield steady volume delivery, remains the test worth watching.
Read more: itjuzi.com
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