The European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) has named Raylase AG the 2016 recipient of its Phoenix Award, recognizing entrepreneurship in photonics. Founded in 1999 as Scanpro Technology GmbH, Raylase produces components, submodules and software to deflect, modulate and control laser beams in a variety of applications, such as marking, drilling, cutting, engraving and welding. Raylase CEO Peter von Jan; Thomas Baab, head of production; and Erwin Wagner, vice president of new technologies receive the EPIC Phoenix Award 2016 during EPIC’s annual general meeting in Zurich. The company said its founding team, while enthusiastic, was short on capital, but based on preliminary drawings and product specifications, was able to collect first orders from customers. Based on these orders, they were able to secure initial funding from private and venture capital investors. In 2000, the company did a second investment round while simultaneously developing optic-mechanical technology to measure and keep output power of CW CO2 lasers stable, and control the laser power related to the velocity of the focus in the processing field with their POWSTAB method. Now independent from banks, Raylase employs over 100 employees with application labs in Germany and China, and repair and service centers in Russia and Brazil.