Zephyr Photonics Sets Sights on Commercial Success

Research and development company Zephyr Photonics has been acquired by Torch Hill Investment Partners, a Washington-based private equity firm, and is making the transition to becoming a commercial enterprise.

Zephyr will use its patented vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology to deliver high-bandwidth, harsh-environment photonic solutions for national security applications.

To lead the 25-year-old company (formerly known as OptiComp) into its commercial stage, Torch Hill has appointed Tom Steding as chief executive officer. Steding has served as CEO of 10 high-technology companies; most recently, he was with Red Condor. He also is the chairman and founder of Quadrix Partners, a leadership consulting organization.

“While Zephyr may be a secret to much of the country, it has a tremendous history of innovative research and development, and is primed for growth with a pipeline of commercial products ready to hit the market in the coming months,” Steding said.

“We have a great opportunity to help prospective customers overcome harsh-environment data communications obstacles and enable optical interconnect solutions that meet the requirements of military, aerospace and security applications.”

Steding added that the company has strong relationships with manufacturing and communications companies.

For more information, visit: www.zephyrphotonics.com