Stantum Granted Key Patents on Its Multi-Touch Technology

Stantum has announced that both the European Patent Office and the China Patent & Trademark Office have granted the company patents (EP1719047 and CN100447723C) on its multi-touch technology.

In 2004, under its former name, JazzMutant, Stantum became the first company ever to develop and bring to market a multi-touch electronic device – the award-winning Lemur remote controller for creative professionals. The recently granted European and Chinese patents extend the original patent filed in France in February 2004.

The patents describe a method and a system for controlling electronic devices by manipulating graphic objects on a transparent multi-contact touch panel. Beyond the process enabling the detection and tracking of an unlimited number of simultaneous contact points on a touch screen, the patents disclose various multi-touch interaction techniques, such as applying specific behavior to graphic objects according to finger gestures.

“The patents reward our research-and-development efforts since 2002, allowing new, intuitive interactions with devices for users, who have been limited to the keyboard and mouse for more than 40 years,” said Pascal Joguet, Stantum’s chief technical officer and co-founder.

Stantum’s multi-touch solution is well-suited for such devices as mobile phones, notebooks, netbooks, personal navigation systems, gaming consoles, and personal media players, which require the best quality user experience at a competitive cost.

”The patents granted in Europe and China are further acknowledgement of Stantum’s pioneering position in the field of multi-touch technologies,” said Etienne Paillard, Stantum CEO. “Moreover, they strengthen our intellectual property rights in geographic areas that account for about 40 percent of the global gross domestic product.”

Stantum Secures $13 Million in Series B Funding Round Co-Led by CDC Innovation and Auriga

Stantum has secured $13 million in Series B funding. CDC Innovation and Auriga Partners co-led the round with XAnge Private Equity as historical investor (2007).

Valery Huot, managing partner of CDC Innovation, and Philippe Granger, partner at Auriga Partners, have joined Stantum’s board of directors, alongside Nicolas Rose, partner at XAnge Private Equity.

According to Stantum CEO Etienne Paillard, the new funding will be used to develop a worldwide sales and marketing organization in the U.S., Europe and Asia; increase R&D capacity for next-generation sensing technologies and new products; and establish and increase mass manufacturing capabilities through partners.

Stantum, originally called JazzMutant, was founded in 2002 with an aim to develop new human-machine interface standards for the creative industry. In 2003, JazzMutant produced the world’s first multi-touch screen that could track an unlimited number of fingers at once. In 2005, JazzMutant launched the first multi-touch product, the first such on the market. Facing an ever-growing demand from various OEMs, the company began working in 2006 to make its patented multi-touch technology available to third-party integrators. In 2007, after a round of financing led by XAnge Private Equity, JazzMutant became Stantum and officially launched its OEM activity.

“Stantum has assembled an unparalleled engineering and top management team with a proven track record of bringing leading products to market,” said Huot. “The company has already demonstrated cutting edge multi-touch solutions that are attracting strong partner and customer interest for mobile phones, navigation devices, and other consumer electronics equipment.”

“We are very excited to be supporting Stantum and are impressed by the progress the company has made to date. Stantum’s focused strategy and unique multi-touch technologies provide a very strong foundation for future success,” added Granger.

Vadis Ventures, a corporate finance boutique focused on the high-tech sector, advised Stantum through this round of financing.

Stantum and Vision Objects Combine Multi-Touch and Handwriting Recognition Technologies to Enhance User Experience on Mobile Devices

Stantum and Vision Objects announced they have combined their respective technologies to provide a state-of-the-art solution for the mobile market.

Integrating with Stantum’s multi-touch technology is Vision Objects’ MyScript, a handwriting recognition solution designed for any touch screen and optimized specifically for small-footprint platforms to provide high-accuracy recognition of more than 85 languages. Backed up by a simple, intuitive interface, users can write a message effortlessly with either their fingertips or a stylus and see their text instantly and accurately transcribed into digital text. MyScript not only recognizes all handwriting styles but also intuitive gestures that allow users to write naturally, insert spaces and line breaks, and easily correct text by editing gestures – from simple backspace gestures to natural scratch-outs.

“We are delighted to be associated with Vision Objects in this project, which adds significant value to our multi-touch solution,” said Robert Pelissier, Stantum’s vice president of sales and business development. “Handwriting recognition combined with multi-touch will let users write in a more playful, intuitive and reliable way. Manufacturers of electronic devices will surely welcome this new functionality.”

Commented Jean-Marc Aichoun, Vision Objects’ vice president of sales and marketing: “We are highly pleased with the integration of our MyScript and Stantum’s multi-touch solution. Indeed, we can now offer the new generation of electronic devices an unrivaled way of interaction and a great user experience that provides the fastest, most reliable way of entering data in a mobile device.”