Helsinki, Finland 5/4/18; Helsinki, Finland 5/15/18—Photonics firm m-u-t has acquired a 75% share in Spectral Engines, a developer of MEMS-based spectral sensors for an undisclosed amount. “We have been aware for quite some time that MEMS-based spectrometers are the new ‘big thing,'” said m-u-t CEO Maik Müller. “With Spectral Engines, we saw a great opportunity of not only having access to a great and now ready to use sensor technology but at the same time finding an environment that offers cloud capabilities and expertise in machine learning.” M-u-t stated that the purchase will expand its spectrometer product offerings to lower-end markets with higher volume, including consumer markets.

Spectral Engines CEO Jarkko Antila stated, “We have been able to develop very strong sensing solutions covering all expertise from mass-producible MEMS sensors to IoT-connected portable devices and combining these with advanced algorithm expertise.” He added, “This gives us remarkable competitive edge in fast growing material sensing applications. This deal will expand our opportunities to accelerate our market entry in many industrial fields.” Spectral Engines’ operations will remain at its base in Finland.

A publicly held company based in Germany, m-u-t is primarily an OEM supplier. Spectral Engines joins m-u-t’s other spectrometer companies, APOS, avantes, LAYTEC and tec5, which provide UV, Raman and IR solutions. In 2017, m-u-t recorded revenues of €60.7 million ($68.2 million at €0.89 = $1), an increase of 11.4%. Its primary markets in 2017 were clean technology, life science and green technology. Spectral Engines’ NIRONE product line is designed for portable and process use.