From its start as a niche market supplier, WITec has evolved to cater to multiple, larger markets. The company supplies high-resolution microscopy techniques for applications in materials research and life science. Specific applications include thin-film analysis and the study of living cells in their physiological surroundings. “Nanotechnology, life science, biomedical research and pharmaceutical research can also benefit from our nanoanalytical imaging tools in terms of spatial composition and high-resolution surface structural analysis,” said WITec Marketing Director Harald Fischer.

Founded in 1997, WITec now has 33 employees and has experienced an average revenue growth rate of 15% for the past few years. When the company started, it offered a near-field scanning optical microscope (SNOM). SNOM is a microscopy technique that allows optical detection of the smallest surface structures of transparent or opaque samples and offers resolution down to about 10 nm. Soon after, the company branched out into other areas of nanoanalytical microscopy, first by offering an atomic force microscope (AFM) module and, then in 1999, by offering a confocal Raman microscope.

WITec’s modular product line allows for the combination of microscopy techniques. As a result, customers can acquire chemical, structural and topographic data from the same sample without touching or transferring it. For example, the confocal Raman imaging upgrade option for WITec’s alpha300 S SNOM system provides the user with topographic and optical images. “The modular design of WITec microscopes allows the integration of confocal Raman and scanning probe microscopy in one system,” Mr. Fischer told IBO. The company’s typical customer works at academic or industrial R&D labs focused on high-resolution optical, structural and chemical engineering.

The company’s growth has also included an acquisition and expansions. In 2010, WITec further developed its offerings with its acquisition of the majority of optical measurement solutions provider omt (see IBO 7/31/10). Also in 2010, WITec expanded into Asian-Pacific markets by opening an office in Singapore and reached an agreement with Advanced Laboratory Solutions to initiate and support its presence in South Africa.

Mr. Fischer said that WITec is able to compete with larger companies due to a two-pronged approach. “On one hand, this means to implement intelligent, customer-oriented and effective sales and service models, optimizing the overall business activities,” he told IBO. “On the other hand, it is of course essential to provide cutting-edge technology which is continually improved in order to make the customer capable of performing research [and of] setting the benchmark in the individual field of application.”

As for what’s next for WITec, Mr. Fischer said that the company plans to continue to advance its technology. “This includes the ongoing introduction of new technologies and their integration within the modular design environment of the WITec instruments,” he said. “Another focus will be to further improve the ease of use of the systems in order to make the systems even more attractive for the various research communities.”