Photonic Innovations
Arising from the cutting-edge research of world-renowned ultra-cold atoms physicist Associate Professor Andrew Wilson, Photonic Innovations is a new start-up company using lasers in a totally different way - to detect gases. Applications of this novel technology are diverse, with a number of the opportunities identified having market sizes of hundreds of millions of dollars.
The company is based at the University of Otago's Centre for Innovation and partnered with Endeavour Capital of Christchurch, New Zealand, an investment deal shaped by Otago Innovation's commercialisation managers.
Together with Endeavour, Otago Innovation evaluated the technology, and spent the last year researching the markets. A sound business plan was developed and Otago Innovation continues to work on a larger implementation plan for the new company.
Commercialisation Manager Hamish Findlay, who led the commercialisation drive of the laser technology, is currently looking at where and how the technology will be manufactured and distributed. A recent series of successful business meetings with international component manufacturers in San Francisco, Chicago and Frankfurt has generated high interest, confirming the technology's potential to "really shake up the market," Findlay says.
