MESOPHOTONICS

Mesophotonics Ltd was launched in 2001 to design and develop photonic crystal nano devices and take them to market. A University of Southampton spin-out company, its team has unique skills in modelling and understanding sub-wavelength structures. In January 2005 Mesophotonics launched Klarite, an innovative nanostructured surface material which allows the existing installed base of Raman spectrometers to be more then 1,000,000 times more sensitive. The effect Klarite exploits is called Surfac... e Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) which has been known about for 30 years. The big step forward, however, is a high level of reproducibility which allows SERS to become a major analytical chemistry technique across a number of applications and industry sectors, including pharmaceuticals, oil production, chemical processes and life sciences. Mesophotonics operates a fab-less business model, outsourcing the semiconductor and device fabrication whilst concentrating on modelling, design, testing, applications, production, engineering and sales. The company employs 20 sales, marketing, research scientists, engineering, finance and chemistry professionals. Mesophotonics has so far secured £8.3 million in funding from top tier venture capital funds and corporate investors. The company is based at the Chilworth Science Park in Southampton and recently opened the world's first dedicated SERS production facility with a state of the art assembly facility and applications development lab.More