March 12, 2007, Plymouth, MI and Hamburg, Germany--Rofin-Sinar Laser has acquired 80% of the common stock of m2k-laser (Freiburg, Germany) in a cash transaction. Further terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.
The remaining 20% of the common stock of m2k-laser is still held by the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (Munich, Germany) and two former founders. Marc Kelemen, one of the founders, will be responsible as Managing Director for operations.
m2k was founded in 2001 as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute of Applied Solid-State Physics (Freiburg). The company develops and manufactures semiconductor lasers based on the III-V compounds GaAs and GaSb for use primarily in the scientific industry. Main products are tapered diode lasers and tapered amplifiers.
M2k will continue to operate as a stand-alone company and will also continue to provide their products to other laser companies. Under two separate additional agreements, the company will pay for access to certain know-how and for the use of the existing infrastructure of the Fraunhofer IAF Institute in Freiburg.