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23 Oct 2024
Agreement to acquire historic name in nanosecond lasers should boost Lumibird's annual sales by around €7M.
France-headquartered photonics company Lumibird is set to expand its offering once again, with the acquisition of the Continuum range of short-pulsed lasers from current owner Amplitude Laser Group.
Paris-listed Lumibird says that the deal, which should be completed within weeks, should yield around €7 million in annual laser product and service sales largely for scientific applications.
“It will strengthen Lumibird's position, particularly with US universities, in the field of nanosecond lasers,” announced the firm. “The Powerlite ultra-high-energy solid-state lasers and the OPO [optical parametric oscillator], Horizon, and Slopo systems will strengthen Lumibird's product offering.”
Recognized brand
Originating back in 1975, Continuum subsequently became part of what was then known as the GSI Group - since rebranded and reorganized as Novanta - before Amplitude acquired the business in 2014 for $7 million.
At the time Continuum employed around 50 people at its main site in Milpitas, California, and another 20 or so across its subsidiaries in Japan, Germany, and France.
Then in 2022, Amplitude merged the Milpitas operation with its existing North American division in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to create Amplitude Laser Inc, producing a full range of standard nanosecond lasers and custom sources, as well as the high-power Ti:sapphire femtosecond lasers for which Amplitude is best known.
Commenting on the latest switch in ownership, Amplitude Laser Group CEO Damien Buet said: "This transaction enables Amplitude to focus its development on ultrafast and very high-energy lasers for the US and global markets.
“Lumibird's acquisition will allow the Continuum range to accelerate its development and provide our customers with an enhanced offering in the field of solid-state nanosecond lasers. Amplitude will work closely with Lumibird to ensure a smooth transition for all stakeholders.”
Lumibird CEO Marc Le Flohic added: “The acquisition of the Continuum brand, which is highly recognised by universities, will enable Lumibird to strengthen its product range and increase its share of the nanosecond solid-state laser market.
“This operation is not only profitable, it is also in line with [Lumibird Group] strategy of strengthening our position in a recurring market and accelerating the optimization of the Group's industrial tools.”
Defense demand
Lumibird announced the agreement alongside its latest quarterly financial results, in which it posted a 4 per cent year-on-year increase in sales, to €43.5 million.
The firm’s medical division was responsible for that rise, with its sales up 8 per cent thanks to higher shipments of therapeutic lasers, while Lumibird’s photonics division saw no change.
Sales in the third quarter were also driven by defense and aerospace applications, which at €8.9 million were up 30 per cent year-on-year, added the firm. Meanwhile Lumibird’s industrial and scientific business reported a 15 per cent decline, to €6 million, as end user demand continued to drop.
Despite the mixed performance, the company’s management team remains confident of a strong end to the year, as is typical, and expects to post annual sales of around €214 million, up 5 per cent on the 2023 total.
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