Toptica snaps up diode maker eagleyard

04 Feb 2013

The German laser firms, both specialists in laser diode technology, take their long-standing collaboration a step further.

All smiles: Toptica joins forces with eagleyard

Toptica Photonics, the Munich-based provider of diode lasers and systems, has acquired a majority ownership in the diode chip manufacturer eagleyard.

Effective January 1, 2013, the deal sees Toptica become more vertically integrated, with eagleyard regarded as a leading producer of precision and high-power gallium arsenide diodes emitting at wavelengths between 650nm and 1120nm.

The company produces broad-area, ridge waveguide, distributed feedback (DFB) and tapered laser diodes, sold through a global sales network. They are used in a variety of applications, many of them in spectroscopy, which is a particular area of strength for Toptica.

Eagleyard was founded in 2002, as a spin-off from Berlin’s Ferdinand Braun Institute (FBH), by Jörg Muchametow and Thomas Laurent. Since then, the company has grown to generate an annual sales turnover of around $5 million.

Toptica’s president Wilhelm Kaenders said: "With this strategic acquisition we emphasize the technological leadership of both companies. eagleyard will continue to operate as an independent company in the market and maintain its successful sales and distribution organization as well as its recognized brand."

The acquisition follows many years of collaboration between the two firms and the FBH, something that led to the development of the first high-powered tapered diodes.

Günther Tränkle, head of the FBH institute, said: “The even closer future collaboration of these two companies as technology drivers in the photonics arena is strengthening Berlin as a center hub for optical technologies. The intimate interaction of our research with real applications leads to a world-unique knowhow pool and ultimately to competitive products which are in strong demand in the global market place."

Muchametow added: "We are very pleased to see that the many years of close cooperation have finally led to this strategic acquisition. Driven by Toptica's applications and system design know-how we will be able in the future to enhance and extend our product portfolio to the benefit of our customers."