The $62 Million Sale Of A Touch Tech Startup Fans The Tablet Flames

Welcome to the Touch revolution. Ahead of the impending news about the iTablet/iPad from Apple today, comes news that a French maker of touch input technology has been acquired by Tyco Electronics for $62 million upfront. Motorola's venture arm also has an interest in the technology. Will we see the mobile maker create new touch devices? Could be. The news wraps up a good day for key European venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners , which has exited its stake in its portfolio company Sensitive Object . At the same the VC has announced the closure its sixth fund, Sofinnova Capital VI, raising €260 million. Sensitive Object has created a touch input technology based on acoustic waves processing ( more here ). Oh yes, you read that right. Instead of making the screen itself touch sensitive, it analyzes the sound waves that pass through object when somone touches it. Star Trek huh.