Samsung Ventures invests in Amplitude Laser Group

01 Dec 2015

French maker of ultrafast solid-state lasers to develop solutions for global consumer electronics giant.

Ultrafast solid-state laser specialist Amplitude Laser Group has announced a financial partnership with Samsung Venture Investment Corp (SIVC), the venture capital arm of Samsung Group. Terms of the investment were not disclosed but Eric Mottay, Amplitude’s CEO, told optics.org, “We expect this partnership to further strengthen the growth of the company, both in Korea and other advanced markets. We expect expansion of our manufacturing and R&D resources in a short time frame.”

By this partnership, Amplitude will receive a relatively small investment from SIVC, which joins the Bordeaux company as a minority shareholder within the group of investors formed by Amplitude’s management, which includes Cathay Capital, Bpifrance, Mérieux Développement and Auriga Partners.

So what will be the consequences of SVIC’s investment for Amplitude? Mottay explained, “Industrial applications of ultrafast lasers are growing in many fields, due to the high precision micro-processing made possible by their short pulse duration. New technology developments in micro-electronics, display and semiconductor sectors – where Samsung is a key player – all require extremely high precision and small feature size. So Amplitude can provide solutions to help Samsung on this path, and open up whole new levels of opportunities for various industrial process applications.”

He added, “Samsung has been a client of ours for many years and we have often worked with Samsung’s engineering teams on different projects. We share the same strategic vision and we look forward to working together more closely to expand our offering and geographical presence.”

Nathan Han, Senior Investment Manager at SVIC, said, "Our investment in Amplitude is consistent with our strategy to work closely with established market leaders. Amplitude is a technology leader in the laser space, on its way to becoming a global leader. The company and its management have demonstrated both a technical and business vision in driving adoption of their products."

New research lab for glass processing

Coinciding with the announcement of the SVIC investment, Amplitude is opening a new research laboratory dedicated to glass processing. Under the leadership of Dr. Konstantin Mishchik, a dedicated research program will aim to better understand ultrafast laser interaction with transparent media, as well as to develop “innovative industrial processes”.

Dr Mishchik said, “ultrafast lasers are proven to be a key technology for glass processing, combining high quality peformance with processing speed. Industrial stakes are high, particularly in micro-electronics, yet the physical processes occurring during laser-matter interaction remain complex.” Trained at the University of Moscow and a former postdoctoral researcher at University of Bordeaux, Dr Mishchik has authored several articles in collaboration with Amplitude Systemes. The research laboratory, based in the Institut d'Optique d'Aquitaine, is expected to benefit from its proximity to both the AlphaNov technology center and the University of Bordeaux.

About the Author

Matthew Peach is a contributing editor to optics.org.