PG Photonics Acquires Mobius Photonics to Accelerate UV Laser Development
Acquisition Broadens Opportunities in Fine Processing Markets
OXFORD, Mass. – IPG Photonics Corporation (NASDAQ: IPGP) today announced the acquisition of privately held Mountain View, California-based Mobius Photonics to accelerate its entry into the UV laser market and deepen IPG's development team. Mobius provides high-power pulsed UV fiber lasers for micromachining, such as dicing and scribing of wafers, and VIA drilling and solar hybrid panel processing.
"The acquisition of Mobius Photonics will augment our current development efforts in UV fiber lasers to quickly penetrate the UV laser market, which we believe could be a significant sales driver for IPG in the coming years. Mobius has deep expertise in UV lasers, a strong patent portfolio and proprietary techniques relating to UV lasers," said Dr. Valentin Gapontsev, IPG Photonics' Chief Executive Officer. "The market has been waiting for a cost-effective, reliable and stable UV fiber laser. Now that we can combine Mobius' UV laser expertise and experience with IPG’s low-cost, proprietary fiber, pump diode and component technologies, we believe that we can effectively build a presence in the fine processing market."
"This combination will enable us to leverage IPG's industry-leading fiber laser technology to advance Mobius' UV technology and provide our customers with low-cost advanced UV fiber lasers," said Dr. Robert Byer, Mobius' Co-Founder and Chairman. "We are proud of the accomplishments of our talented team and look forward to the many opportunities resulting from this transaction."
Kiyomi Monro, Mobius' CEO added, "I am pleased that the Mobius team will join IPG, a company clearly committed to investing in technology and the people behind it."
In the acquisition, IPG acquired an exclusive license of U.S. Patent No. 5,745,284, an early and broad patent claiming pulsed fiber lasers with frequency conversion into UV light, as well as other Mobius patents, licenses and trade secrets.
The employees from Mobius will become part of the IPG Silicon Valley Technology Center. Mobius had revenue from operations of approximately $1.4 million for 2012.
About IPG Photonics Corporation
IPG Photonics Corporation is the world leader in high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers. Founded in 1990, IPG pioneered the development and commercialization of optical fiber-based lasers for use in diverse applications, primarily materials processing. Fiber lasers have revolutionized the industry by delivering superior performance, reliability and usability at a lower total cost of ownership compared with conventional lasers, allowing end users to increase productivity and decrease operating costs. IPG has its headquarters in Oxford, Massachusetts, and has additional plants and offices throughout the world. For more information, please visit
www.ipgphotonics.com.
David Calusdian
Executive Vice President
Sharon Merrill
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