UB spin-off Impetux Optics closes an investment round to boost its advanced microscopy technology
The University of Barcelona (UB) spin-off Impetux Optics has closed an investment round with the venture capital fund Bullnet Capital to drive the industrialisation and commercial launch of its advanced microscopy technology.
Founded in 2012, Impetux Optics specialises in the development of advanced photonic instrumentation for life sciences, including optical tweezers systems and new confocal microscopy solutions.
The company originates from research carried out by scientists at the UB Faculty of Physics in fields such as photonics, biophysics and advanced microscopy, and combines this knowledge with a team with extensive experience in product development and the commercialisation of scientific instrumentation.
At the core of its technological offering is a proprietary innovation based on acousto-optic devices (AOD), enabling a fully solid-state and programmable confocal microscopy architecture. This technology eliminates traditional mechanical components and enables high-speed imaging with lower phototoxicity, greater robustness and a high degree of adaptability to different experimental conditions within a single system.
The aim of the investment round is to accelerate the industrialisation and commercial launch of the company’s confocal system, as well as to scale the production and sales of its Sensocell® optical tweezers systems. With this boost, Impetux Optics aims to position itself in the global microscopy market, particularly in applications such as cell biology, drug discovery and quantitative analysis.
The funds raised will support progress along its technological roadmap, including the development of a first integrated version with Sensocell® and a high-performance standalone version. In addition, the company will strengthen its team, industrial capabilities and commercial strategy, with the aim of consolidating its growth and exploring future opportunities with key industry players.
The investment is supported by the InnovFin SME Guarantee Facility, with financial backing from the European Union under the Horizon 2020 financial instruments.
This operation highlights the commitment of the University of Barcelona and the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation to knowledge transfer and the creation of high-impact innovative companies capable of transforming research into internationally scalable technological solutions.