Today LIG Nanowise announced the completion of a £2.6 million seed funding round for our accessible super-resolution imaging technique for advanced materials, semiconductors, metal alloys, and more.

Our specialist technology transforms light microscopes into ultra-high-resolution systems for the first time, through the record-breaking performance of its microsphere lenses.

Our NANOPSIS M microscope, allows for real-time, non-destructive imaging at super-resolution in full colour, democratising super-resolution capabilities in the scientific community, stretching what were thought to be the limits of optical microscopy.

The financing, which was led by Hong Kong based venture capital investor Phoenix Bridge, alongside private investors, will go towards expanding the company’s manufacturing capability and international sales network, helping to deliver its NANOPSIS M microscope to new prospects across industry and academia. A proportion of the money will also help to fund continued R&D efforts in multiple sectors, and further develop the organisation’s nano-patterning system.According to SIG, the patented SMAL technology reveals the nanoscopic world in previously unseen ways. With this technique, there is no need for the traditional coating of a sample, which is required when using a common electron or atomic force microscope. This technology is said to enable users to see objects smaller than 200nm in high-resolution and full colour.

We believe our technology has the potential to open up new vistas of research for super-materials such as graphene and semiconductors, providing a new, synergistic imaging technique to integrate into existing imaging protocols. Its microsphere lens technology has further far-reaching applications in areas such as industrial nanoprecision laser etching of surfaces, for applications such as bank note security and microelectronics.