Spectronix, which develops and sells picosecond laser oscillators, announced on 1 October that it has secured ¥518m ($3.3m) in an extension of its Series F funding round.
Founded in 2004, the company is headquartered in Suita, Osaka Prefecture.
Picosecond laser oscillators for micromachining
A picosecond laser is one in which each pulse lasts only on the order of a trillionth of a second. Lasers are sometimes used to cut materials such as iron, and ultrashort-pulse lasers, including picosecond lasers, are well suited to the micromachining of such materials. They are also used in cosmetic medicine and other fields.
Spectronix develops picosecond laser oscillators and sells them for the micromachining of metals, ceramics, semiconductor materials and more. Its products emit ultraviolet, deep-ultraviolet and green light. The company also sells peripheral products needed for laser processing, such as galvanometer scanners and f-theta lenses.
The company was founded in 2004 by George Okada, who had launched the solid-state laser business at KEYENCE, and its office was initially located in Okada’s grandmother’s house, according to the company. In 2021 Okada handed over the management of the company to Yukihiko Nagaoka, who had previously worked at Victor Company of Japan and at Amazon’s US headquarters. Okada now serves as founder and director, overseeing new business and product development.
As noted above, this financing is an extension of the Series F round. The main Series F round was completed in December 2024, raising ¥480m (around $3m at the exchange rate at the time).
Investors voice their expectations
Participants in the Series F extension included investment limited partnerships managed by the venture capital firm JAFCO.
The funds will be used to bring its picosecond-pulse DUV laser oscillators to market, to build and strengthen its mass-production capacity, to reinforce its management base and to recruit staff.
Mizuki Takahara and Kengo Miura of JAFCO, one of the investors, commented jointly as follows:
“As AI semiconductors become ever more powerful, micromachining in back-end semiconductor processes is emerging as a new trend. Against this backdrop, Spectronix is bringing its DUV laser oscillators to market in partnership with a company holding the top global market share. If this succeeds, it could enable Japan to become the exclusive supplier of a core component for back-end processes.”
