Revolutionary idea for high-performance spectroscopy

The idea was born from the vision of the two founders, Dr. Ekaterina Jung and Erik Jung, to transform complex spectroscopy technologies into practical, compact solutions. High-performance spectroscopy is to be made so small and smart that it can be easily integrated into everyday FTIR analysis, especially in applications where space, time and precision are crucial – a revolution in the analysis of light sources and materials.

Background of the two founders

Ekaterina brings to this endeavor extensive experience from her PhD at DESY, where she developed the first ultra-wideband FTIR prototype, while Erik bridges the gap between science and market with his expertise in software development and business strategy.

Wide range of applications

The team sees many areas of application and industries – from environmental monitoring, material analysis, pharmaceuticals and medical technology to food safety. The simple and practical handling also opens up the possibility of using the device to completely new user groups.

The biggest challenges so far

Finding the right financing strategy and overcoming the bureaucratic hurdles involved in running a company were among the biggest challenges faced by the two founders on their start-up journey so far. Sometimes they also felt lost in the jungle of many tasks. The support from the Port@Desy start-up team was able to help them find the right path and focus again in many places. Both also found it very helpful in these moments to have each other as sparring partners in order to sort out thoughts and motivate each other.

Supporting partners on the way to founding a company

Thanks to Ekatarina’s close connection to DESY from the time of her doctorate, the team became aware of the start-up consultancy at DESY. They received valuable support there in the further development of their technology and in the strategic orientation of the company, which laid the foundation for the start-up. Funding from the Helmholtz Enterprise Program was also successfully acquired.

The next steps

The next step for the two founders is to find the first customers, establish themselves on the market and scale up production. At the same time, the product portfolio is to be expanded and a version 2 (V2) developed with further improvements.

Advice for other founders

“Talk to people about your idea as much as possible!” is Ekatarina and Erik’s most important piece of advice to other ambitious founders. Even if the path seems quite clear, it is still very variable, according to their experience. A different perspective can often reveal a shortcut and open up new paths. They recommend always keeping an open mind, actively seeking feedback and using networks to drive your own vision forward.