Business briefs

28 Jan 2005

Including news from OFS, New Wave Research, Finisar, Inplane Photonics, Transmode Systems and more.

General company news:

•  OFS, the maker of optical fiber, has licensed its patents on air-clad microstructured fibers and fiber gratings to the Danish firm Koheras. Koheras will use the IP to develop fiber lasers for industrial applications.

•  New Wave Research, the Californian laser maker, is moving into new 65,000 sq.ft. headquarters that are more than twice the size of its previous facilities. “This move is the result of significant growth in our businesses and in our dynamic markets - from flat-panel display repair, wafer scribing and semiconductor failure analysis to PIV, laser ablation and industrial/OEM applications,” said New Wave’s Lin Tso.

•  Transmode Systems, the Swedish maker of optical communications equipment, has opened new sales offices to serve North America and Asia. The offices are located in Dallas, Texas and Singapore and follow from a doubling of firm’s revenue between 2003 and 2004.

Acquisitions:

•  Despite news earlier this week that the deal was off, Finisar is now going ahead with its purchase of Infineon's fiber-optic business under a revised set of conditions. Valued at $50 million the acquisition will give Finisar access to Infineon’s transceiver designs while the German firm will retain its fiber-to-the-home and parallel fiber products.

Funding and contracts:

•  Ondax, a Californian-based developer of volume holographic filters, has secured an undisclosed amount of Series C financing. The round was led by Arcturus Ventures, Prospector Equity Capital and including existing investors CIV and the California Institute of Technology .

•  Inplane Photonics, the maker of optical “systems on a chip” for the telecoms and defense sectors, has been awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin. The contact involves the development of advanced fiber-optic network subsystems for tactical combat aircraft.

•  Imaging Diagnostic Systems, US, has sold a CT laser mammography to its Italian distributor Biomedical International for installation at Teramo hospital in Italy. The system generates 3D cross-sectional images of the breast and is non-invasive and painless.

•  Lasertel, a US maker of high-power laser diodes and a subsidiary of Presstek, has won a $7 million supply agreement with HTOE of China. The deal means that Lasertel will become the primary supplier of laser diodes for use in HTOE’s products. As part of the agreement, Lasertel will also distribute HTOE’s products in North America and Europe.

Distribution agreements:

•  The fiber laser specialist Southampton Photonics (SPI) has signed up new sales channels for Europe and Asia. Bfi Optilas has been appointed as a distributor for Europe; A&P Instrumentation for China; Japan Laser Corporation for Japan; and Analytical Technologies for South East Asia.

•  Laserscope, a developer of medical laser systems, has signed a three-year agreement with MD International. The deal involves the distribution of Laserscope’s products for treatment of the prostate gland and cosmetic surgery.