News: Optoelectronics
17 March 2025
BluGlass establishes Industry Advisory Board led by Steven DenBaars and Richard Craig
BluGlass Ltd of Silverwater, Australia has established an Industry Advisory Board led by professor Steven DenBaars and Dr Richard Craig to accelerate its technical roadmap and commercial advancement of its gallium nitride (GaN) laser portfolio for the global quantum, defence and biotech markets.
DenBaars’ career spans materials science, technology commercialization, and leadership. He co-founded Soraa Laser Diode Inc, where he served as chair & CEO until its acquisition by Kyocera Corp for $450m in January 2021, marking a significant milestone in commercializing GaN-based laser technology.
As a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, DenBaars co-directs the Solid State Lighting & Energy Electronics Center (SSLEEC) and holds the Mitsubishi Chemical Chair in Solid State Lighting and Displays, as well as being a scientific advisor to Seoul Viosys Corp. His research in GaN materials and devices has fundamentally advanced solid-state lighting and display technologies.
Craig has held senior executive positions at laser companies, including serving as president and chief scientist at Oclaro, and senior VP at SDL and JDSU (now Lumentum). At SDL he developed and managed the laser pump business – the key technology that led to the acquisition of SDL by JDSU for $41bn in 2000, representing the largest recorded technology acquisition at the time of announcement.
Craig was CEO of venture-funded start-ups Santur, Picarro, Topanga Technologies, and Kaai, and president of Soraa and Soraa Laser Diode. Funded by Khosla Ventures, Kaai and Soraa were GaN-based start-ups founded by Shuji Nakamura and Steve DenBaars. Craig currently serves on the board of multiple high-tech laser companies.
The Industry Advisory Board will provide strategic guidance on technology development, market positioning, and commercial partnerships to augment BluGlass’ position in GaN laser solutions and accelerate its go-to-market strategy. The board will complement and leverage technical advice provided by BluGlass’ SSLEEC and CLAWS Hub Consortium advisers; Nobel Laureate professor Shuji Nakamura, professor Fred Kish, and professor John Muth.
“We are honoured to have esteemed industry leaders Prof. Steven DenBaars and Richard Craig lead BluGlass’ new Industry Advisory Board, formalising the long-standing relationship we have with these industry pioneers,” states BluGlass’ CEO Jim Haden. “Professor DenBaars’ world-renowned expertise and strategic leadership, combined with Dr Craig’s successful 30-year record of transitioning advanced technology companies to profitable, high-growth commercial entities, will propel BluGlass to the next stage of commercial growth,” he adds.
“The Advisory Board’s focus will be to advance our go-to-market strategy and competitive position, which provides a structured path to scale by leveraging joint development projects to generate early revenue while building a pipeline of future product customers,” Haden continues.
“Professor DenBaars and Dr Craig’s invaluable expertise and networks will build and accelerate the momentum of the past year, helping us identify new commercial partnerships with industry, defence primes and government that not only provide near-term revenue but position us for multi-year manufacturing contracts. Their decision to accept equity as compensation aligns their interests with shareholders and speaks to their confidence in both our technology and ability to meet the significant unmet global demand for high-quality precision lases critical for all advanced applications.”
“The new advisory board will collaborate closely and leverage the technical expertise provided by our consortium advisers professor Shuji Nakamura, and director CLAWS professor John Muth, and deputy director CLAWS Fred Kish. Collectively, our advisers comprise a stellar group of experts to advance BluGlass towards full commercialization and profitability,” Haden concludes.
“I am thrilled to join BluGlass’ Industry Advisory Board, to exploit the rapidly growing opportunities for GaN lasers in what are set to be globally transformational applications, such as quantum sensing, quantum navigation, and quantum computing,” says DenBaars. “BluGlass and UCSB’s pioneering work in ultra-precision GaN DFB lasers provides highly strategic competitive advantages. I believe the company is at an exciting inflection point,” he adds.
“I see immense potential in BluGlass. Its technological capability is highly sought by industry as it meets an unmet market need for high-performance, cost-effective and scalable GaN lasers with superior precision to enable the world’s most advanced quantum, medical and defence applications, to name a few,” comments Craig.
BluGlass boosts single-mode GaN laser chip output by 67% to record 1250mW
BluGlass showcases new product capability for quantum applications at Photonics West
BluGlass enters into contract with NCSU for visible laser development as part of CLAWS Hub
BluGlass joins UCSB’s Solid-State Lighting & Energy Electronics Center consortium
