Oxxius secures $10m for diode-pumped lasers

22 Sep 2006

Green, blue and UV laser module developer plans to extend its product range with new investment.

France-based Oxxius, which makes laser modules powered by high-performance diodes, has won venture funding of $10 million that it will use to develop a wider product range.

Oxxius, a French manufacturer of laser modules pumped by III-V diodes, has secured $10 million in its second round of venture funding.

The new round was led by Sofinnova Partners, which also funded the company's initial financing round with &#euro; 2.4 million back in 2004.

Oxxius says it will use the new funds to extend its range of products. It currently makes and sells a variety of modules that emit in the green, blue and ultraviolet range of the spectrum.

Those modules can be based around crystals that are powered by diodes emitting at 808 nm, or which use GaN-based laser chips emitting directly in the short-wavelength regime.

Oxxius has also developed a groundbreaking continuous-wave 355 nm laser that uses a frequency-tripled light source.

This and its other products are used by customers for a range of industrial, medical and scientific applications, such as holography, photolithography and projection displays.

Oxxius co-founder and CEO Thierry Georges said of the development, "The additional funding will enable us to grow the commercial and industrial operations of the company and consolidate our position of first-tier laser provider to instrumentation manufacturers."