Liquid lens supplier Varioptic has been purchased by Invenios, a manufacturer of microfluidics, MEMS, and 3D microstructures. The acquisition was completed on 29 December 2016 for an undisclosed amount.
Based in Santa Barbara, CA, USA, Invenios runs a micro-fabrication foundry specialising in glass structuring, micro glass packaging and glass bonding. The firm supplies consumables and devices for gene sequencing, bio-medical, sensor, electronic and optical applications.
Founded in 2002 in Lyon, France, Varioptic was bought in May 2011 by Parrot Drones. Following the Invenios purchase, Varioptic’s business, assets and employees have been transferred to Invenios France, a fully owned subsidiary of Invenios.
Varioptic’s liquid lens technology gives variable focus, variable tilt, or variable cylindrical lenses with no moving parts. The lenses offer unlimited number of cycles, shock and vibration resistance, low power, all in a compact format allowing the use in compact cameras used in industrial or consumer devices. The main markets for the lenses are barcode readers, medical devices, industrial cameras and defence.
Invenios has been working on improving Varioptic’s optical image stabilisation (OIS) lens with an enhanced, low cost and scalable design. The acquisition will streamline these efforts in liquid lens development and enable broader market access with an extended product portfolio.
Ray Karam, president of Invenios, commented: ‘Combining the expertise of Varioptic and Invenios will further grow the liquid lens business, and permit us to access new markets.’
The liquid lens products will continue to be promoted under the Varioptic and Optilux brands.
