Recently, Belgian laser precision processing equipment manufacturer Lasea Group announced the acquisition of a majority stake in another ultra-fast laser system company, Optec. Following the completion of the transaction, Lasea Group, headquartered in the Wallonia region of Belgium, will further solidify its position as a European leader in ultra-short pulse laser technology and micro-processing applications. Currently, Lasea Group employs over 110 staff across four countries, providing laser solutions for four sectors: medical systems, electronics, academia, and luxury goods. Its customers are spread across five continents, with over 1,000 laser machines installed.
About Lasea
Founded in 1999, Lasea produces high-precision, high-reliability, and high-efficiency micro-processing laser solutions for industrial use, meeting the most complex requirements for marking, cutting, drilling, and other texturing applications. By 2008, its annual turnover had reached 2 million euros. In 2010, Lasea received French capital investment, and in 2012, it established a French subsidiary. Subsequently, in 2016 and 2017, it established subsidiaries in the United States and Switzerland, respectively, and acquired automation company WOW in 2017. Over the seven years following 2012, Lasea's revenue and employee count grew sevenfold, with an annual organic growth rate of 32%.
Lasea's laser micro-processing equipment can be used for material cutting, marking, engraving, drilling, and thin-film ablation, with a precision of up to 0.2 micrometers (250 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair). Lasea possesses world-leading R&D capabilities and frequently pioneers innovative technologies in areas such as straight-line cutting, biomimetic design, and seven-axis synchronous processing.
Following the merger with Optec, Lasea will leverage Optec's ceramic processing technology patents (MachCeram®) to strengthen its position in the luxury goods sector and continue to pursue the diversified strategy targeting new markets established several years ago.
Optec Overview
Optec was founded in 1991 as a subsidiary of the University of Mons in Belgium, specializing in the design and manufacture of laser micro-processing equipment for the medical, electronics, and security marking industries. Over the past 30 years, Optec has specialized in precision processing of polymer materials using excimer lasers (short-pulse, ultraviolet lasers) and has been a key player in the field of ultra-short pulse lasers. Both of these cold processing techniques achieve micron-level precision, with performance that meets the demands of the most advanced applications in terms of quality and reliability.
In 2003, Optec's new headquarters was established and put into use in Frameries, Belgium. In 2017, a subsidiary, Optec LLC, was established in San Diego, California, USA, to meet growing demand. Currently, Optec has over 1,500 square meters of cleanroom space in Belgium, including a 100-square-meter ISO 7 cleanroom, and has sold 600 laser systems (standard or custom) worldwide.
Senior Management Comments
Lasea CEO Axel Kupisiewicz stated: "The merger of Lasea and Optec was a natural progression, as the two companies have close ties and share common values. The new group has now reached a critical mass in the global market, and the synergies between the two companies in terms of technology and business will yield significant results. We believe our respective customers will benefit from our joint operations, and our new products will continue to meet the demands of the rapidly growing market."
Optec CEO Laurent Marin commented: "Through Lasea and Optec, we are fortunate to have two high-tech companies with advanced laser processing technology in Wallonia. By pooling our technical and innovative capabilities, we can better meet customer needs, thanks to our passionate professional team. As the motto of our beautiful country states-unity creates strength-each of us can leverage our talents to collectively advance our endeavors."
Optec Founder Rod Andrew commented: "Wallonia is at the heart of Europe with a rich engineering heritage, and this merger presents an excellent opportunity for both Wallonia and the two companies. The two companies are now integrating their resources to become major players on the global stage, and with the full support of our partners in the US and Japan, we are set to embark on an exciting new chapter."
