Perceptra, an innovative spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has secured funding of €1.2 million from PhotonDelta, a leading European photonics accelerator. This investment marks a significant step towards the commercialization of a groundbreaking technology that aims to revolutionize chemical monitoring in various industries.
Revolutionizing Chemical Analysis
Raman spectroscopy, a technique capable of identifying chemicals with atomic precision, has traditionally required bulky laboratory equipment, making continuous monitoring in biomanufacturing settings impractical. Perceptra aims to integrate the principles of this decades-old technology onto silicon, creating compact photonic chips that replace large dispersive spectrometers. The company’s approach utilizes on-chip tunable lasers and detectors, along with artificial intelligence, to decode chemical signals efficiently.
According to Amir Atabaki, CEO and co-founder of Perceptra, the goal is to make chemical analysis as accessible as using a digital thermometer. Atabaki, who has extensive experience from his time at MIT’s photonics labs, recognized that Raman sensing—a Nobel Prize-winning technology from the 1930s—had not kept pace with the demands of modern trillion-dollar industries. His vision is to shrink this technology, making it both portable and cost-effective.
Funding and Future Plans
The €1.2 million funding from PhotonDelta, structured as a loan, will primarily be used to develop Perceptra’s first fully photonic Raman sensor. The company also plans to relocate its research and development operations from San Francisco to the Netherlands, positioning itself within PhotonDelta’s ecosystem, which includes access to fabrication facilities, talent, and a robust supply chain.
Perceptra’s technology distinguishes itself from competitors such as Wasatch Photonics and Metrohm by integrating all components onto a single silicon chip. This innovation not only reduces costs—making tiny detectors ten times cheaper—but also simplifies the overall design, streamlining the process of chemical analysis.
The funding will support the initial commercial sensor’s development and facilitate early pilot projects in biomanufacturing. As industries increasingly recognize the value of real-time chemical monitoring, Perceptra’s advancements could play a crucial role in transforming how chemical analysis is conducted across various sectors.
