Agilent expands life sciences portfolio with TILL Photonics and Colloidal Dynamics

March 4, 2008

March 3, 2008, New Orleans, LA--At Pittcon 2008, Agilent Technologies announced it has signed an agreement to acquire TILL Photonics GmbH and has completed the acquisition of Colloidal Dynamics, expanding its presence in fluorescence microscopy and particle measurement.

March 3, 2008, New Orleans, LA--At Pittcon 2008, Agilent Technologies announced it has signed an agreement to acquire TILL Photonics GmbH (Munich, Germany) and has completed the acquisition of Colloidal Dynamics. Both companies will join the recently created Materials Science Solutions Unit within Agilent's Life Science and Chemical Analysis business. Financial details were not disclosed. The TILL Photonics GmbH acquisition is expected to be final at the end of March, subject to certain closing conditions.

The Agilent Materials Science Solution Unit (MSSU) was formed in 2007 under the leadership of Mike Gasparian, vice president and general manager. MSSU's focus is to provide microscopy, particle analysis, and optical spectroscopy solutions for the materials testing, life sciences and chemical analysis markets, as well as to advance nanotechnology.

"Our Materials Science Solutions Unit targets expansion of measurement platforms for research scientists in many existing and new market segments," Gasparian said. "When final, the TILL Photonics acquisition will position Agilent as a premier provider of advanced optical and fluorescence microscopy systems. Colloidal Dynamics launches our particle-measurement portfolio, allowing us to offer customers unmatched zeta-potential and particle-size measurement tools."

TILL Photonics develops and markets innovative life science products for fluorescence microscopy. The acquisition will complement Agilent's atomic force microscope platform and is consistent with Agilent's strategy of providing customers with comprehensive workflow solutions. TILL Photonics employees are expected to join Agilent when the acquisition becomes final at the end of March.

"I expect the novel TILL microscopy platform will experience optimal maturing conditions as a part of Agilent and will appeal to a much wider base of customers leveraging a strong sales and support function," said Dr. Rainer Uhl, founder of TILL Photonics and professor at the BioImaging Center of the University of Munich.

The acquisition of privately held Colloidal Dynamics enables Agilent to have a complementary suite of particle-analysis solutions to materials science customers in the polymer, specialty chemical, inks/pigments, food, pharmaceutical, and materials research markets.