TILL Photonics Under New Leadership

A German consortium, led by TOPTICA Photonics AG, has acquired all assets and assumed certain liabilities of TILL Photonics GmbH from Agilent Technologies. The consortium, completed by Frank Lison, the future CEO and Rainer Uhl, the founder and previous owner of TILL Photonics GmbH, plans to continue and grow the business under its previous name and with the previous strategic intentions. The acquisition was finalized on June 30th 2009, financial details were not disclosed.

TILL Photonics GmbH, with its headquarter in Gräfelfing, Munich, Germany, develops and markets innovative solutions for fluorescence microscopy, used in basic research, applied science and medical diagnostics. TILL’s innovative and leading edge microscope platform allows researchers to combine advanced fluorescence imaging techniques in order to gather better and more meaningful data from processes occurring in living cells.

TOPTICA Photonics AG, also headquartered in Gräfelfing manufactures diode lasers and ultrafast fiber lasers for various markets. In the field of biophotonics & microscopy TOPTICA’s lasers help researchers using light microscopy techniques to gain a better understanding of the interactions within and between cells.

“TILL’s and TOPTICA’s business structures are very alike. Both companies are technology-driven, offer highly complex products and can claim technological leadership for more than one of their products”, said Dr. Frank Lison, one of the Managing Directors of the newly formed company and currently Vice President of R&D at TOPTICA.

“Advanced optical and fluorescence techniques are indispensible tools for gaining better insight into structure and function of live cells in culture and tissue. TILL’s fluorescence microscopy solutions can be ideally combined with laser solutions. Actually the importance of lasers in microscopy – in life sciences in general – is steadily increasing. Supplemented with the similar company philosophies I can see a very good match, indeed”, said Dr. Rainer Uhl, founder of the original TILL, professor at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich.

The new TILL Photonics GmbH will remain an independent operation, and the TILL product line will continue to be manufactured, sold, installed and serviced by the existing team of TILL employees in Gräfelfing. The company will continue to invest in innovative and leading-edge fluorescence microscopy solutions.

For more information regarding TOPTICA Photonics we recommend the website www.toptica.com.