According to reports from Asia, the Japanese manufacturer JOLED is on the verge of bankruptcy. The company founded by Japan Display, Sony and Panasonic, which produces OLED panels using a printing process (Printed OLED), is said to be struggling with a low production yield. Without a new cash injection, the end is imminent.
The website OLED-Info reports this and refers to a report in the South Korean daily newspaper Chosun, which in turn also has a report from Sohu.com quoted from China.
Accordingly, JOLED is said to be “on the verge of bankruptcy” due to a financial crisis, unless a new investor is found soon. Although series production and delivery of the printed OLED panels began last year, the yield of functional displays is still too low. Due to the ongoing losses and high costs, there is a risk of insolvency. However, there is no official confirmation of the situation described.
The printing process should actually simplify the production of OLED displays and make them cheaper. Other companies such as Denso, Toyota and TCL had invested millions in the meantime.
The Chinese display manufacturer TCL has also developed large printed OLED panels for televisions together with JOLED, which actually should go into series production in the coming year.
The joint venture of JDI, Panasonic and Sony
In 2015, Japan Display Inc. (JDI), Panasonic and Sony founded the joint venture JOLED for the development and production of small and medium-sized OLED displays for tablets and monitors. Around two years later, the first OLED displays were shown at CeBit 2017. The actual mass production of the first printed OLED displays with 10 to 32 inches took place in March 2021 under the OLEDIO brand.
The first (and last?) Products with JOLED display
One of the first products with JOLED panel (in small series) is the portable monitor Asus ProArt PQ22UC, which was announced in 2018 and around a came on the market a year later for an outrageously expensive 5,000 euros. The 22″ UHD monitor still costs 4,300 euros today.
The LG UltraFine 32EP950 is significantly larger and yet significantly cheaper, with UHD on 32 inches for 2,250 euros today is available.