Spin-offs and start-ups

Alemnis GmbH

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Alemnis is specialized in development, manufacturing and integration of customized instruments and tools for micromechanical testing and nanomanipulation for all fields of microscopy (SEM, FIB, Light microscope, Synchrotron). The product range includes indentation devices for in-situ materials testing, standard and specially customized micro-/nanopositioners as well as advanced gas injection systems.

Amanuensis GmbH

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Amanuensis GmbH was founded in 2011 by James Whitby (who still has a part-time position as an EMPA scientist). Amanuensis provides proposal writing, project management and consultancy services in the fields of material sciences, analytical science, and the physical sciences generally. In particular, the company has expertise in writing and organizing research proposals for European Union funding (e.g. Framework 7, Eurostars, ERANET).

Eleoss GmbH

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Eleoss GmbH was also founded in 2010. Eleoss’ novel electrodeposition process enables stainless steel coatings and microcomponents fully made of stainless steel that were not possible up to now. Based on a manufacturing process developed together with Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Eleoss manufactures stainless steel microparts for precision mechanics applications and is also able to finish surfaces with functional and decorative stainless steel coatings.

Tofwerk AG

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Contrary to the companies above, Tofwerk AG is not an EMPA spinoff. The company was started in 2002 in the EMPA building by Marc Gonin and Katrin Fuhrer based on their research experience outside EMPA. Tofwerk develops time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOFMS), ion mobility spectrometers (IMS) and ion source interfaces for customers around the globe. Since the company's creation, several national and European projects to develop chemical analysis instruments together with EMPA have been successfully completed and commercialized by TOFWERK and their OEM partners.

MatExpert GmbH

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MatExpert was founded in 2006 by Andreas Rupp and is located in the EMPA building. Andreas was heading for the Metallography Group at EMPA for many years. After a reorganization within EMPA part of the metallography activities was outsourced to MatExpert. Today Andreas Rupp, Fred Schmid and Jenni Zeller all three former EMPA staff offer metallography, failure investigations and scanning electron microscopy including EDX. MatExpert is also a competent partner in optimization of all metallurgical and metal based manufacturing processes.