MicroLED Tech Start-up Brings On Ex-Daktronics CEO Kurtenbach As Interim CEO

May 20, 2025 by Dave Haynes

Longtime Daktronics CEO Reece Kurtenbach has resurfaced as the interim CEO of a small US-Irish company that is focused on the technology for mass transferring microLEDs and then driving visuals with micro integrated circuits and what X Display calls a Pixel Engine.

Kurtenbach was President, CEO, and Chair of Daktronics from 2013 to 2025, but left that role (not sure whether that was entirely his idea) several weeks ago. He is still a member of the big South Dakota LED display maker, as well as a special advisor. His time traced all the way back to 1982 when he was part of a team that helped launch Daktronics’ first full-color LED video display.

Kurtenbach steps in for Randolph Chan, who was running X Display since 2018 but has retired.

“I wish to thank Randy for his leadership during the past seven years, achieving key milestones,” says Kurtenbach in PR. “XDC’s technology is enabling key applications in consumer electronics and data center market segments. I am looking forward to working with our dedicated team, innovative customers and supportive investors.”

X Display, which operates out of the Raleigh, NC area and Cork, Ireland, has some 20-25 people and works on the tech behind displays more than the actually displays. I saw their stuff demo’d way back, pre-COVID, at Touch Taiwan – when very few people were talking about microLED.

The Daktronics ties go back several years, with Kurtenbach putting company money into X Display’s Series A investment round in early 2020.