Vancouver, BC – written Tuesday, October 15, 2024 – Photonics is not just a niche industry; it is a global phenomenon that connects regions and industries across the world. In Canada, the photonics industry plays a vital role in sectors such as telecommunications, aerospace, and health care. With its vast geography, Canada benefits significantly from photonic technologies like fiber-optic communications, which ensure fast and reliable internet access even in remote regions. The country also has a thriving research community in photonics, driving innovation in both academic and industrial settings.
Germany, known for its precision engineering and advanced manufacturing, is a leader in the photonics field, particularly in laser technologies, optics, and advanced manufacturing systems. The country’s commitment to innovation and high-quality production standards makes it a hub for companies looking to leverage photonics for industrial automation and medical applications. Germany’s expertise in this field supports its position as a critical player in the European photonics market.
Globally, photonics is becoming indispensable as industries push towards more efficient, precise, and sustainable technologies. The applications of photonics range from improving medical diagnostics in developing regions to enabling more sustainable energy solutions worldwide.
SuperLight Photonics’ partnership with Hamamatsu Ventures illustrates how cross-border collaborations in this field can drive innovation, with the Netherlands, Japan, and other countries working together to develop the next wave of technological breakthroughs.
As the world faces challenges like climate change and the need for rapid digital transformation, photonics holds the potential to provide solutions that are both advanced and environmentally sustainable, benefiting societies around the world. This strategic partnership between SuperLight Photonics and Hamamatsu Ventures is just one example of how photonics continues to shape the future, offering exciting opportunities for collaboration, growth, and technological advancement.
SuperLight Photonics, a company in Enschede, The Netherlands is a pioneer in cutting-edge laser technology. They recently announced a strategic investment from Hamamatsu Ventures to drive long-term synergy in laser innovation.
Hamamatsu Ventures, a global Corporate Venture Capital firm, aims to invest in photonics companies that address the sakidori needs—society’s future anticipated needs—through the development of disruptive photonics technologies that have the potential to redefine industries. This partnership is poised to accelerate SuperLight Photonics’ development of next-generation photonic technologies and strengthen its global market presence.
“Our partnership with Hamamatsu Ventures marks a pivotal moment in our growth journey,” said Cees Links, CEO of SuperLight Photonics. “Their support validates the enormous potential of our technologies and strengthens our ability to scale quickly, innovate, and meet the needs of global customers seeking innovative photonic solutions. We are excited to leverage their industry knowledge and network to bring our breakthrough products to new markets.”
“As a strategic investor, we provide business expertise in areas where we have deep experience and we seek to create synergies which might lead to collaborative R&D and joint developments,” stated Katsuhiro Kobayashi, CEO of Hamamatsu Ventures. “It is our ambition to build a long-term, supportive partnership with our portfolio companies. We recognize SuperLight Photonics’ groundbreaking technology as a game-changer with vast potential to transform a wide range of industries. They align perfectly with our investment focus on technologies shaping the future.”
As part of the strategic investment, David Castrillo, EU-CVC Business Development Manager, will join the SuperLight Photonics Advisory Board and serve as a liaison. With over 30 years of experience in the optical industry at Hamamatsu, David brings valuable expertise and insights to SuperLight Photonics, enhancing the company’s vision and direction.
With this new investment, SuperLight Photonics will focus on expanding its team, scaling its production capacity, and driving innovation across its product portfolio. The company plans to expand into new geographic markets and establish stronger partnerships with global distributors, OEMs, and key industry players.
For more information, please visit SuperLight Photonics.
Understanding Photonics in Simple Terms
In a world where technology moves at the speed of light, understanding the term photonics can be challenging, even though it plays a crucial role in our everyday lives. Simply put, photonics is the science and technology of using light. It’s like electronics, but instead of using electric currents, photonics uses photons—particles of light—to transmit information, detect objects, or even perform complex calculations.
Just as electronics revolutionized the 20th century by allowing us to control electricity to power everything from light bulbs to computers, photonics is doing the same for the 21st century, but with light. Think of fiber optic cables that enable high-speed internet, medical lasers that allow precise surgeries, or even the sensors in your smartphone’s camera. All these advancements are made possible by photonics.
So why is photonics so important? The power of light allows us to achieve things that electricity simply can’t. Light can carry more data, travel faster, and interact with materials in ways that are impossible with electrons. From faster data transfer in telecommunications to ultra-precise measurements in scientific research, photonics is driving innovation across multiple industries, making our world more connected, efficient, and advanced.
About SuperLight Photonics
SuperLight Photonics, based in Enschede, the Netherlands, is a pioneering Dutch spin-off company from the University of Twente aiming to become a leading player in wideband lasers. The platform technology offers solutions in various applications including OCT, spectroscopy, microscopy, tomography, and metrology serving markets in bio-medical, industrial, scientific, food, and agriculture. SuperLight Photonics is at the forefront of creating Photon-IC (PIC) solutions. Capitalizing on the momentum within the photonics sector, SuperLight Photonics contributes to a technologically advanced and sustainable future.
About Hamamatsu Photonics/ Hamamatsu Ventures
Hamamatsu Photonics is a world-leading manufacturer of optoelectronic components and systems. The Company’s corporate philosophy stresses the advancement of photonics through extensive research and yields products that are regarded as state-of-the-art. All products are designed to cover the entire optical spectrum and provide solutions for a wide variety of applications including analytical, consumer, industrial, and medical instrumentation.
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