This year, OLEDWorks is celebrating its 15th anniversary. From its ambitious beginnings with a handful of dedicated OLED engineers, to the world leader in multi-stack OLED technology production and a workforce of over 250 dedicated team members, the last 15 years have been filled with excitement, growth, and innovation.
Getting Started
OLEDWorks can trace its history back to the invention of OLED here in Rochester, NY, in 1987 at Eastman Kodak. As members of the OLED team at Kodak, Dr. John Hamer and Dr. Michael Boroson were among the pioneers to work on this cutting-edge technology. They saw the potential of OLED technology to transform display and lighting applications with its surface emission, thin profile, and high contrast. When Kodak made the decision to sell its OLED intellectual property to LG at the end of 2009, Dr. Hamer and Dr. Boroson knew that they couldn’t let this groundbreaking research leave the region. So, along with experienced entrepreneur David DeJoy, they founded OLEDWorks in July 2010 to keep OLED lighting right here in Rochester, New York.
In a section of an industrial building, with pre-owned Kodak machines, the co-founders built a lean operation to develop innovative OLED lighting solutions. With their OLED expertise and prior business experience, OLEDWorks developed unique manufacturing capabilities for high performance OLED lighting products.
OLEDWorks Co-founders (Left to Right: Dr. Michael Boroson, David DeJoy, Dr. John Hamer)
“We had to be creative with our solutions because of limited resources at the beginning,” says Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Dr. John Hamer. “I think that creativity has continued to serve us today, and our unique approach to R&D has allowed us to quickly and effectively enter new markets with high-performing products.”
In 2015, OLEDWorks acquired the Philips OLED division in Aachen, Germany, including a state-of-the-art OLED production facility and 35 skilled and knowledgeable team members. Thanks to strong investor support and the management team’s dedicated integration efforts, this transaction positioned OLEDWorks as a precision manufacturer capable of delivering the world’s brightest and highest performing OLED multi-stack lighting products at scale.
Automotive Acceleration
Over the last five years, OLEDWorks’ global footprint has expanded rapidly, particularly within the automotive sector. Because of their beautiful quality and ultra-thin, lightweight profile capable of enhanced communication and dynamic lighting animations, automotive manufacturers are increasingly incorporating OLED lighting into their vehicle lighting designs.
In January 2024, OLEDWorks launched the brand Atala (Advanced Technology for Automotive Lighting Applications) to distinguish its world-class automotive products from the rest of its portfolio and competitors’ technologies. This marked a defining moment for OLEDWorks, affirming their commitment to develop the next generation of automotive lighting.
Atala Bendable OLED Panel
“The launch of the Atala brand allowed us to provide more focus to our automotive products and customers,” says Dr. Michael Boroson, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. “But more than that, it told the world that our world-class automotive products are on the road improving both safety and the overall automotive experience.”
In April of this year, OLEDWorks and Marelli were awarded the prestigious 2025 PACE Award for their breakthrough digital OLED 2.0 rear lights in the Audi Q6 e-tron. The taillights in the Audi Q6 e-tron feature Atala OLED lighting panels with 60 individually addressable segments, allowing for customer personalization and enhanced communication capabilities. This award recognizes transformative innovations that have made it to market in a series vehicle and validates Atala’s position in reshaping the automotive industry.
Atala OLED Panels in the Audi Q6 e-tron
Today into Tomorrow
Today, OLEDWorks is publicly recognized as the lighting supplier to five vehicles on the road, and Atala OLED technology has a robust pipeline of vehicles selected for future adoption. Expanding beyond automotive success, the Rochester facility has been focused on developing high-brightness OLED microdisplay products for defense and industrial applications.
OLEDWorks Microdisplay Demonstrator
OLEDWorks has also leveraged its strong market position and key partnerships to pave the road for future success. Earlier this year, OLEDWorks announced a strategic partnership with Japan Display Inc. (JDI) with the objective to establish a world-class advanced display fab in the United States, focused on delivering high-performance displays for critical industries including defense, automotive, and medical applications.
Last month, OLEDWorks announced a combined €34 million financing from the European Investment Bank and NRW.BANK that will allow OLEDWorks to double the capacity of its Aachen manufacturing facility by the end of 2027. With the expansion of its workforce of over 250 dedicated team members, OLEDWorks will be able to serve a wider range of customers and more quickly adapt to customer needs.
When asked about the history of OLEDWorks and what comes next, David DeJoy, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, had this to say:
“I am so proud of the journey that OLEDWorks has taken over the last 15 years. Through investment in the continued development and iteration of our technology, we have been able to grow quickly while setting the foundation for sustainable long-term success. Our customers recognize the care and dedication we put into every delivery, and we have gained a reputation for technical excellence and exceptional product performance.
As innovators, we are never satisfied, and our team works tirelessly to continue improving upon every facet of our customer experience. We have exciting product announcements coming later this year as we continue our work in automotive lighting and high-performance display, and our Aachen facility expansion will allow us to better support new and existing customers. I am excited for the continued growth, new product innovations, and expanded opportunities that the next 15 years will bring — the future is bright!”
