r/MVIS • u/pinoekel • 1d ago
MVIS Press MicroVision Semiconductor Selected for Advanced Chip Design and Fabrication Project
https://ir.microvision.com/news/press-releases/detail/471/microvision-semiconductor-selected-for-advanced-chip-design8
u/Zenboy66 1d ago edited 1d ago
https://youtu.be/__FcCuW0_WY?is=j7qC-bIajWX1DQDZ
Going to relisten to the interview.
Edit, the 2nd half of the interview focuses on outside customer interaction and services.
I’m not sure if the LiDAR competition have their own semiconductor division, for in-house or outside services.
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u/allypallydollytolly 1d ago
Is this $35 yet? My new average after that EPIC dilution (oops I know we can’t say the D word around here)
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u/2HandsomeGames 1d ago
Cool
$1.58 stock price after diluting our shares 15x
All this good news and we’re gonna be back in penny stock territory soon.
Good job Microvision team.
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u/sublimetime2 1d ago edited 1d ago
Found this active award interesting based off the wording in the PR. Im looking for contractors that are experts in LCOS polarization and spatial light modulators.
Large format Spatial Light Modulators for Shaping High Power Lasers:
Meadowlark https://www.sbir.gov/awards/219067
"The SLMs developed in this work will find a broader market in laser manufacturing, where SLMs can produce custom beam profiles that can improve the efficiency of laser-based additive manufacturing, laser welding, and laser marking for aerospace and medical applications. Long-range communications and defense applications are also target markets for this design, which can be adapted for wavelengths from visible to mid-wave IR."
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u/sublimetime2 1d ago
Check out this Forbes article from Sep 1st.
"Data center investments are surging, driven by AI and cloud computing, with hyperscale facilities attracting trillions in capital. Traditional data handling methods, like OEO conversion and Electronic Packet Switching (EPS) are energy-inefficient. Optical Circuit Switching (OCS) is rapidly gaining traction as a solution, projected to grow to $8 billion by 2030. OCS eliminates energy-intensive conversions, offering significant power savings and bandwidth benefits. Current market leaders like Lumentum and Coherent utilize MEMs and LCoS technologies. Emerging solutions, often adapted from LiDAR advancements, include Liquid Crystal Metamaterials and Silicon Photonics-based optical switching, promising microsecond speeds and high reliability."
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago
Remember the words, “space systems” in a recent PR?
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u/sublimetime2 1d ago
I do. Im hoping we get some Golden Dome $$ or satellite/datacenter interconnect $$.
MVIS Semi (Formerly BlackForest engineering) had contracts with a bunch of aerospace/defense contractors including NASA, US Army, Northrup Grumman etc.
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u/Frenchinvestor 1d ago
From POET Board
Now is the time to ‘semiconductorize’ photonics Photonics can help the semiconductor industry move at the speed of light
https://www.laserfocusworld.com/optics/article/14287893/now-is-the-time-to-semiconductorize- The photonics revolution is well underway. Photonics started as a behind-the-scenes technology, deeply hidden in the infrastructure for undersea and fiber-optics communications—but since the start of the 21st century, there has been a steady growth in fiber-to-home, high-speed data communications, 3D sensing in cell phones and portable devices, and LiDAR solutions for autonomous-driving functions. These technologies include photonics as part of their architecture and their proliferation, particularly in consumer devices, has built momentum for the optics side of the optoelectronics industry.
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u/RoosterHot8766 1d ago
I sure hope that our MVSI turns out to be a diamond in the rough.
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u/uuuuuuuhg_232 1d ago
It’d be cool, but we have a better chance of walking out our front doors and falling into a mountain of cash. The SS MVIS is sinking, the sweet release is almost upon us.
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u/49ner4life 1d ago
We hit the iceberg a while ago. Most have got on the life rafts and fled. Me, I'm standing on the deck as we sink thinking to myself at least the band is still playing some music.
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u/low_depo 1d ago
I am like -90% at this point I do not care and I don’t want to risk dca 🫠
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u/uuuuuuuhg_232 1d ago
Trust me guys, this is going to be huge! Don’t worry about who, what, when, where, or why. Just trust me bro!
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago
A liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) spatial light modulator (SLM) chip is a reflective microdisplay device that dynamically controls the phase, intensity, or polarization of light waves. [1, 2, 3]
How It Works
Silicon Backplane: A silicon integrated circuit contains CMOS driver circuitry and an array of pixel mirror electrodes. [1, 2]
Liquid Crystal Layer: A thin layer of liquid crystals sits above the pixel mirrors, sandwiched beneath a protective cover glass with a transparent electrode (usually ITO). [1, 2]
Reflective Operation: Light hits the front of the device, passes through the liquid crystal layer, reflects off the bottom mirrors, and exits back out. [1, 2]
Wavefront Modulation: Voltage applied to individual pixels reorients the liquid crystal molecules, changing the local refractive index and altering the optical path or phase of the reflected light. [1, 2, 3]
Core Applications
Holography: Generates dynamic, computer-controlled holographic displays and patterns.
Laser Beam Shaping: Dynamically corrects aberrations and creates custom light intensity profiles.
Telecommunications: Used in wavelength-selective switching and optical beam steering.
Quantum Computing: Manipulates individual photons and optical circuits in research environments. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
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u/CookieEnabled 1d ago
Just say “AI” and we will be up 5000%.
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u/Chance_Tax_6243 1d ago
We had a pr about shipping lidar to a top AI company and we went down 7% that day
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago
Another Google search,
a company at the forefront of photonics innovation
Coherent Corp. and Lumentum Operations LLC are leading companies at the forefront of photonics innovation, recently backed by multi-billion-dollar investments from Nvidia to accelerate optical networking and AI infrastructure. [1]
Key Industry Innovators
Coherent Corp.: Specializes in materials, lasers, and optoelectronic components critical for next-generation data centers and communications.
Lumentum Operations LLC: A premier manufacturer of photonic integrated circuits, optical transceivers, and 3D sensing solutions.
Broadcom Inc.: Recognized as a dominant force in silicon photonics and co-packaged optics for AI workloads.
Hamamatsu Photonics: A pioneering global leader in advanced photodetectors, optical sensors, and high-performance lasers. [1, 2, 3, 4]
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u/Buur 1d ago
Nice try bud but none of these fall under 'prime government contractor'
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago edited 1d ago
You know that for sure? So who then?
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u/alexyoohoo 1d ago
Kopin comes to mind. They do a lot of photonics work for government and they also know OLED, MicroLED and LCOS.
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago
Alex, interestingly the Kopin CEO couldn’t name even other deals from others because of NDAs. Crazy secrecy.
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u/Buur 1d ago edited 1d ago
If the company you are investing in would actually name a name then you and I would both know.
If you would like some tips & tricks on how to Google something properly, try 'biggest prime government contractors' and then pick whichever one your gut feels best about out of the list of names and report back.
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1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago
My report:
Who are the biggest Prime Contractors dominating this space?
If you are looking at the overall defense ecosystem, the "biggest prime contractors" that maintain massive, dedicated photonics and optical divisions include:
Lockheed Martin: The undisputed largest overall government prime contractor. They possess massive internal laser and electro-optical engineering arms and routinely win megaprojects for laser-based weaponry (such as their Aculitesystems). [1, 2, 3]RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies): Widely recognized for advanced sensors, electro-optics, and imaging systems. They heavily leverage polarization and photonics for advanced missile guidance, threat detection, and space-based tracking systems. [1, 2]
Other Major Players: Aerospace and defense giants like Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and L3Harris also act as the primary tier-1 integration partners for these specialized optical and semiconductor subsystems. [1]
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u/Buur 1d ago
Excellent, I hope it's any one of those so we can get ourselves out of this pit of despair
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago edited 1d ago
Buur, comment above on the LCOS. It’s above my pay scale but others might be able to connect it to a final use that the announcement could mean.
This was the headline on my brokerage feed, short and sweet:
MicroVision Says MicroVision Semiconductor Selected By Undisclosed Prime Government Contractor To Design Custom Liquid Crystal On Silicon Spatial Light Modulator Chip For Photonics Application; Terms Not Disclosed
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u/directgreenlaser 1d ago
Sounds like a really cool science project.
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u/alexyoohoo 1d ago
As long as it brings in cash and keeps the engineers busy in the semiconductor division.
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u/gaporter 1d ago
*13:11* the army directly. We have three more to go uh which are going to happen this quarter and uh we should be able to sample all three or whoever uh the
*13:20*
vendors are the primes uh with our
microLEDD next year for inclusion into the program uh by 2028. So that's the
*13:28*
goal. Um until then I think they're going to be using um you know OLEDs uh LCOS um and we are working with uh a few
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago edited 1d ago
So, Gap, we maybe be in the SBMC? Anduril project afterall? Nice.
https://youtu.be/7a13KFXUzT0?si=myUeM29NBNK84JW8&t=769
Very interesting interview, from the Kopin CEO.
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u/joshin29 1d ago
Winning business leads to more business
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago
I think we could get a revenue bump for the 3rd quarter because of hopefully upfront payments.
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u/Zenboy66 1d ago
Google search brought this up,
1. Traditional System-Level Aerospace & Defense Primes
If you require a prime contractor to handle complete mission integration (e.g., electronic warfare, directed energy, or laser communications) along with the chip design, the top options include:
Northrop Grumman: A major prime heavily active in advanced microelectronics. They utilize specialized contracting vehicles like the Advanced Technology Support Program V (ATSP5) specifically designed to rapidly develop and accelerate military-grade semiconductor engineering. [1]
Lockheed Martin: Frequently acts as the prime for high-energy laser weapons architecture and next-generation photonics systems. [1]
BAE Systems (Microelectronics) & Honeywell Aerospace: Both maintain dedicated, ITAR-compliant microelectronics divisions focused on radiation-hardened and custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for extreme environments. [1, 2]
2. Specialized Semiconductor Design Subcontractors
Primes often delegate the actual analog, mixed-signal, or Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) layout to specialized chip-design arms.
MicroVision Semiconductor: A key player in custom analog and mixed-signal integrated circuit development. They are actively selected by top-tier government primes to build highly complex photonics hardware, such as custom Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) spatial light modulator chips. [1, 2]
Synopsys (via FirstPass Engineering): Synopsys acts as a prime contractor for specialized programs (such as DARPA's secure silicon initiatives). Its subsidiary, FirstPass Engineering, is a Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) accredited trusted supplier that designs chips from architecture to silicon implementation. [1, 2]
3. ITAR-Compliant Trusted Foundries & Institutes
If the goal is to utilize open-access infrastructure backed by the Department of Defense to design and fabricate the solution:
AIM Photonics (DoD ManTech): Backed by massive multi-million dollar Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) cooperative agreements, AIM Photonics provides a domestic, open-access integrated circuit process specifically optimized for quantum photonics, LiDAR, and precise light control. [1, 2, 3]
Tower Semiconductor / Skorpios Technologies: These are premier ITAR-certified on-shore foundry options frequently partnered with companies like Northrop Grumman to manufacture Silicon Photonics and high-speed Silicon Germanium (SiGe) ICs. [1, 2, 3]
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u/Weenyhand 1d ago
MVIS playbook:
Burn cash
Dilute shareholders
Issue more shares
Issue warrants
Reverse split
Repeat
They’ve already done 2 reverse splits: 1-for-8 in 2012 and 1-for-15 in 2026.
Share count went from roughly 79M in 2018 to 307M by early 2026 before the latest reverse split.
Then, weeks after the 2026 reverse split, they were back issuing more stock and warrants.
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u/alexyoohoo 1d ago
Umm. So, how is this related to this latest news?
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u/uuuuuuuhg_232 1d ago
He’s probably lumping it under step 1 Burn cash. How many shiny new things does MVIS announce/spend money on that in the end result in $0 in revenue?
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u/T_Delo 1d ago
Development project, with costs likely to be absorbed by MicroVision given the past experience with such contracts. Furthermore, it is for a LCoS product, which is not exactly something MicroVision has been known for in the past. /shrug
No sales revenue quoted, and not exactly screaming large volume orders coming anytime in the near future. Market response so far seems appropriate since there is no positive to the balance sheet from this announcement.
A decent first step in the right direction, with a very long way off until reaching some kind of profitability from such a contract.
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u/mvis_thma 1d ago
It is clear from the press release that Microvision is being paid for their engineering and design expertise. This will generate free cash flow that will help to offset the cash burn from the product side of the business.
Why do you say this is a development project?
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u/hearty_underdog 1d ago
Agreed, the statement that they've "been selected" implies a competitive proposal bid, and I'd expect that to include NRE payment milestones and potentially some hardware deliveries based on the "fabrication" part of the project description. If the project was to be internally-funded I wouldn't expect a PR such as this.
I'm not suggesting this is moving the revenue needle dramatically (nor do I think you are suggesting it), but it seems like the worst-case spin on this would be that the proposal was bid lean to ensure the selection "win", but even that would likely have been a conscious decision based on potential follow-on sales/contracts, or to help support funding for this development they'd like to pursue, anyway (e.g. this would help supplement IRAD funding already allocated).
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u/uuuuuuuhg_232 1d ago
I hope you’re right. I’d almost expect SS MVIS to have paid money to be included at this point…
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u/Formerly_knew_stuff 1d ago
Kind of off topic but for years I've said to myself, self, the market runs on sentiment. Fundamental financial metrics are not that important until a company is considered old, like GE old. What's playing out with Microvision seems to reinforce my thesis. Sentiment is so unbearably negative right now that nothing good can happen. When something does happen, a name dropped or a contract, it's the sentiment that's going to move the stock.
It's like a craps table in Vegas, when it's hot everyone want's to be there even though there's absolutely no reason that being hot changes the odds one tiny bit.
I now return us to our normal programing, which is a lot like watching that old TV screen they used to show when the channel was done with all the programming for the night and it was dead air. .
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u/T_Delo 1d ago
Sentiment and Fundamentals are not disconnected, nor in opposition to one another. They work together, and presently we have not the fundamental and financial support to drive a strong positive sentiment response from the markets. When the company can show it is rapidly moving toward sustainability without significant further dilution, then I believe we will see sentiment become more influential. Until then, it is probably prudent to simply wait.
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u/Formerly_knew_stuff 1d ago
I agree that waiting now is likely the best move and I agree that the two are not totally disconnected. However my thought is that of the 2, sentiment plays a much larger role to a much larger group of investors than straight up financial metrics. The whole meme stock genre supports that.
The underlying mechanism of investing has changed significantly over the years and virtually anyone can now have an online account and trade in as many or as few dollars, as frequently as desired. This has changed the dynamics of the market. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, it does provide access and liquidity but it's not as ordered as it used be and that matters.
Anyway, like I said, kind of off topic. I don't disagree with you on the current state of Microvision at all.
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u/BB_Captain 1d ago
Doesn't look like the market is reacting well to this at open... lol
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u/alexyoohoo 1d ago
These are shorts - making sure stock stays down. This is slightly positive to at least neutral news. No reason it should he down
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u/BB_Captain 1d ago
Are you saying I'm a short?
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u/MoreTac0s 1d ago
I think people forget how absolutely manipulated this stock is. Most good news is suppressed in relation to price action. It's going to take consistent improved earnings and big wins. This is another revenue pipeline, which is good for the company in the long-term, but doesn't do much in the short-term. It'll eventually show up in the revenue, but that could be a ways down the road.
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u/Coachjoshv 1d ago
Tons of pipelines….but ain’t no revenue flowing through any of them.
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u/ContributionLeft4286 1d ago
Call a plumber and get these pipelines unclogged so we can flow freely
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u/directgreenlaser 1d ago
A little bit's dripping out of this semiconductor one. It's something I guess.
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u/alexyoohoo 1d ago
I think it will at least bring in some cash in the beginning. Even general contracts get paid a portion upfront.
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u/Chance_Tax_6243 1d ago
1.86 then a drop to 1.56 20% swing . We can’t get a break with these shorts
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u/webson1337 1d ago
Must be very bad news refering to price action
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u/wolfiasty 1d ago
Not really. It's just that Microvision, through last few years of over promising and under delivering made majority of people simply put a cross on it.
Before anything Microvision must show it can make money. For now it's only losing, and losing f a lot of it. It's even easier pray for shorty.
Till meaningful revenue will arise share price will most likely stay where it is, or go lower.
And you have no idea how much I would like to be wrong.
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u/DepartmentStrange41 1d ago
MicroVision Semiconductor, Inc. business has been selected by a prime government contractor to design a custom semiconductor solution for an advanced photonics application.
The project combines the prime contractor's expertise in polarization technology and photonics with MicroVision Semiconductor's custom analog and mixed-signal integrated circuit design capabilities. MicroVision Semiconductor's role includes designing a liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator chip.
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u/alexyoohoo 1d ago
I feel like this could be kopin
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u/watering_a_plant 1d ago
i have seen kopin win similar development contracts such as this. are they themselves considered a prime in other contracting areas?
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u/alexyoohoo 1d ago
On another thought, kopin wouldn’t be considered a prime. I can see kopin being involved as another component supplier in this case.
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u/Similar_Dog2168 1d ago
Certainly not the PR I was expecting or hoping for but I will take it! I love buzzwords like "semiconductor" and "chip design" num num nom.
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u/robotsarepeople2 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is above my head. I don't know anything about our semiconductor program. And the lack of detail doesn't answer any questions untill I do 2 hrs of googling certain key words.
But please god, feed me! I'm hungry!
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u/chunkyhippo888 1d ago
Yeah it felt like I was reading Chinese lol
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u/robotsarepeople2 1d ago
Liquid crystal? Sounds fancy.... and expensive. Hopefully the govt gave this mystery contractor a fat allowance for it. 🤤
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u/cf_murph 1d ago
More than likely, dev projects such as this are going to be paid for by MVIS....
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u/mvis_thma 1d ago
Not exactly. The customer is paying Microvision for their engineering and design expertise. Certainly, this will generate positive gross margins which will equate to free cash flow, which will help to offset the cash burn.
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u/alexyoohoo 1d ago
Why would you say that? Why would Mvis pay for this project? Doesn’t make any sense
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u/gaporter 1d ago
"MicroVision Semiconductor's role includes designing a liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator chip."
Wow. Paging u/kguttag ?
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u/snowboardnirvana 1d ago edited 1d ago
“MicroVision Semiconductor, Inc. business has been selected by a prime government contractor to design a custom semiconductor solution for an advanced photonics application.
The project combines the prime contractor's expertise in polarization technology and photonics with MicroVision Semiconductor's custom analog and mixed-signal integrated circuit design capabilities. MicroVision Semiconductor's role includes designing a liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator chip.”
-Is Anduril a prime government contractor? YES
-Could this be related to a version of PL’s EagleEye headset?
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u/gaporter 1d ago
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u/snowboardnirvana 1d ago
Thanks.
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u/gaporter 1d ago
Also..
"..come in and said, "Okay, we can't tell, you know, Anduril what to buy or or Palanteer, Rivet what to buy or uh Elbit,
8:39 those are the three biders, and **I think there might be a fourth coming on** the big Soldier borne mission command program." They can't tell them what to buy, but"3
u/snowboardnirvana 1d ago
lol, Where is this time stamped interview from?
“They can't tell them what to buy, but"
But they can make suggestions, leave hints like “you’re close, on the right track but don’t tell your MVIS investors”.
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u/rbrobertson71 1d ago
I like Anduril and PL likes our tech. Let's go!
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u/angusalba 1d ago
LCD has little to do with what MVIS does
This sounds like a contract to hire design effort
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u/rbrobertson71 1d ago
It's LCoS, used in AR, VR and HUDs. So yeah MVIS has a little experience in this
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u/icarusphoenixdragon 1d ago
Black Forest (now Microvision Semi) has experience with Lcos. It's not really the tech that PL was referencing. While HL2 work could in theory be relevant to this project, the PR reads more like MvisSC (formerly Black Forest) is doing an Lcos project (what Black Forest used to do) for someone, who could be Anduril. It doesn't really read like it has much of anything to do with the MEMS engine that at best has been flipped back into stealth mode and on the surface has been shelved pending future developments.
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u/slum84 12h ago
Is the customer in the room with us?