Santec
UK-based European subsidiary of Santec Corporation (Japan) supplying tunable lasers, swept-source OCT systems, and optical test instruments; their OCT technology is used for in-process layer inspection and quality monitoring in metal additive manufacturing builds.
- CEO / Founder
- David Heard
- Team Size
- 11-50
- Stage
- Subsidiary
- Total Funding
- Subsidiary
- Key Investors
- Santec Corporation (Japan)
Technology & Products
Key Products
Swept-source OCT systems (IVS series) for AM layer inspection; Tunable lasers (TSL series); Optical spectrum analyzers; Optical coherence tomography engines; Fiber-optic components
Technological Advantage
Santec holds world-leading position in tunable laser technology with proprietary MEMS-based swept-source OCT achieving >100kHz sweep rates; unique capability to integrate OCT into AM machines for closed-loop quality control without interrupting builds.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
Provides swept-source OCT systems enabling real-time in-process quality monitoring of metal AM builds, catching layer defects non-destructively without interrupting the print process.
How They Differentiate
Leverages Santec parent corporation's world-class tunable laser IP (35+ years) to offer OCT systems with superior coherence length and sweep speed compared to generic OCT vendors; European subsidiary provides local sales, support and customisation for AM integrations.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Metal AM machine builders, aerospace/defense AM users, research institutions integrating in-process monitoring into SLM/LPBF systems
Industry Verticals
Additive Manufacturing; Telecommunications; Medical/Biophotonics; Research; Industrial
Competitors
Precitec (OCT for AM monitoring); Coherence Ltd; Wasatch Photonics
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Parent Santec Corp FY2023 revenue ~14.5B JPY (~USD 95M); listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange (6777); Santec Europe serves EMEA region for photonics and OCT products
Major Milestones
1979: Santec Corporation founded (as Kyodo Shoji); 1998: Santec Europe Ltd established in Oxford UK; 2001: Listed on JASDAQ; 2008: World's first commercial SS-OCT system; 2023: Shifted to holding company structure (Santec Holdings); 2020+: OCT systems adopted for AM in-process monitoring
Notable Customers
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology; Fujitsu; Olympus; Huawei; KDDI; Northwestern University; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute