Start-up Cycle GmbH synchronizes high-profile research facilities with ultrashort light pulses

The young Hamburgian high-tech company Cycle announces the conclusion of seed-financing round with participating High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), the business angel Tim Bode and the Innovationsstarter Fonds Hamburg (IFH). The start-up develops and produces synchronization systems based on fiber-optic technology and ultra-short pulsed lasers. Cycle´s highly precise synchronization allows to shoot „movies“ of molecules in high-profile research facilities – which in turn, enables better understanding of active substances on a molecular level, and thus, significantly impacts development of new medication to cure until now incurable diseases.

The longtime research work of the research group of Prof. Franz Kärtner at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Hamburg and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology lead to a founding company: Under the management of Dr Damian Barre, Cycle went into business operation in spring 2015. The company from Hamburg develops and produces optical synchronization technology. The special feature of these systems is that they allow the synchronization of a number of optical and microwave instruments across several kilometers with the precision of one femtosecond, i.e. the millionth of a billionth of a second. These unique features are of vital importance for the synchronization of large-scale measuring facilities, such as free-electron laser accelerator facilities, radar stations or laser centers.

Dr. Ansgar Kirchheim, responsible investment manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds is pleased about the new investment ”To stabilize the facility against external influences such as environmental temperature changes, a synchronization system is required which is more powerful than the standard systems based on RF signals and metallic microwave cables. – This is the case for the system developed by Cycle.”

Gencer Sahin, investment manager at IFH states “The synchronization system is an essential part to enhance the performance of high-profile research facilities. The task of the synchronization system can be compared to the job of an orchestra conductor. Only the setting of the precise pulse allows a synchronized interaction of instruments in the large-scale measuring facility.”

About Cycle GmbH
Cycle was founded with the mission of building innovative ultrafast laser technology for science and industry that excels through performance and reliability in application. Cycle is a spin-off from the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron – one of the world´s leading center for photon and molecular science, accelerator technology, and particle physics. By incorporating latest innovations, the founders Dr. Damian Barre and Prof. Franz Kärtner serve applicants the highest standard in ultrashort pulse laser technology. The spin-off is supported by a Helmholtz Enterprise project of the Helmholtz Association as well as a InnoRampUp start-up project by the Hamburgische Investition- und Förderbank.

Press contact:
Cycle GmbH
Dr. Damian Barre
Notkestraße 85
22607 Hamburg
phone: + 49 173 276 0153
contact@cyclelasers.com
www.cyclelasers.com

About Innovationsstarter Fonds Hamburg
The Innovationsstarter Fonds Hamburg provides venture capital to young and innovative companies with its place of business in Hamburg. Aim is to strengthen research and development activities. Open participation in limited liability companies can reach up to 1 million Euros. Investors are in equal shares the city of Hamburg and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The fund volume is currently 12 million Euros. The management of the fund is the IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH which is a 100% owned subsidiary of the Hamburgischen Investitions- und Förderbank. More information can be found on the web under www.innovationsstarter.com

Contact:
IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH
Gencer Sahin
phone: +49 40 65 79 805 – 96
sahin@innovationsstarter.com
www.innovationsstarter.com

About High-Tech Gründerfonds
High-Tech Gründerfonds invests in young, high potential high-tech start-ups. The seed financing provided is designed to enable start-ups to take an idea through prototyping and to market launch. Typically, High-Tech Gründerfonds invests EUR 600,000 in the seed stage, with the potential for up to a total of EUR 2 million per portfolio company in follow-on financing. Investors in this public/private partnership include the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, the KfW Banking Group, as well as strategic corporate investors including ALTANA, BASF, Bayer, B. Braun, Robert Bosch, CEWE, Daimler, Deutsche Post DHL, Deutsche Telekom, Evonik, Lanxess, media + more venture Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, METRO, Qiagen, RWE Innogy, SAP, Tengelmann and Carl Zeiss. High-Tech Gruenderfonds has about EUR 576 million under management in two funds (EUR 272 million HTGF I, EUR 304 million HTGF II).

Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Ansgar Kirchheim
phone: + 49 228 82300 – 156
a.kirchheim@htgf.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de