The Future is Touch: N-Trig Raises $24 Million Led by Microsoft

Microsoft is announcing a $24 million C Round of investment in Israel’s N-Trig, sole manufacturer of multiple point touch screens for laptops. Previous investors Canaan and Evergreen joined the round.
The unprecedented success of the iPhone drove every major phone manufacturer to come up with their own version of a multi-touch smart phone. It appears that touch is an intuitive form of input for us users. It’s enough to play with an iPhone a few minutes to know that it’s not only efficient, but also fun. Microsoft is betting that what worked on the handheld will work on the PC.

In the words of Ian LeGrow, Group Program Manager for Windows Client at Microsoft Corp:

“With the introduction of multi-touch in Windows 7, integrated with N-trig’s DuoSense technology, our customers will have a new and natural way to interact with their PCs. By simulating the way people write and touch naturally, N-trig is helping to make it easier to navigate your PC and enable a new class of Windows experiences.”

The Seattle based software giant is betting on a winning horse. N-Trig not only has cutting edge patented technology, but also strategic agreements to supply touch screens to HP’s laptops as well as other leading manufacturers. The purpose of this round was not communicated, but sources estimate that it will serve the company for improving its manufacturing process. The company manufactures the touch screens in house, in a relatively long and expensive process. It has previously raised $36 million less than a year ago in February 2008, according to a company value of $64 million. To date, N-Trig has raised 73 million dollars.

N-Trig was founded in 1999 by Dr Meir Morag who currently serves as president. The company has a headcount of 100, and is headquartered in Kfar Saba, Israel. N-trig’s touch technology is currently deployed in Dell’s Latitude XT, and was recently launched on HP’s TouchSmart tx2. During CES in Vegas last week, N-trig announced a collaboration with CyberLink Corporation which opens the door for Blue Ray applications and other OEM agreements.

Related:

Microsoft Betting Big on Touch

Video:N-trig’s DuoSense™ Large Format Multi-Touch Digitizer