New owner for crystal growth business in Eisenach

Hellma Materials takes over all 25 employees, and continues all business activities.

Hellma Materials GmbH, Jena, is taking over Jenoptik’s germanium crystal growth business. A contract between the parties was signed yesterday (Monday). The acquisition is still subject to regulatory approval, which is expected within the next weeks. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

Hellma Materials is a specialist in the production of synthetic crystals and optical ceramics for various applications, primarily for microlithography, optics, laser technology and radiation detection. Jenoptik’s crystal growing activities are bundled in Photonic Sense GmbH, Eisenach (Thuringia). The produced blanks from optical germanium and silicon are the base material, e.g. for infrared optics.

The business sold ideally complements the product portfolio of Hellma Materials. "With the activities acquired, we can offer our customers an even more comprehensive range of materials for applications in the optical and photonic industry," says Dr. Thomas Töpfer of Hellma Materials. Hellma Materials will take over all 25 employees of the company and will continue the production at the Eisenach site. Photonic Sense generated revenue of around 6 million euros in 2020. "With Hellma Materials, we have found a strong and suitable new owner for the business," said Stefan Traeger, President & CEO of JENOPTIK AG. He adds, "With this step, we continue to implement our strategic goal of focusing on applications around optics and photonics."

About Hellma Materials

Hellma Materials is a leading manufacturer of high quality synthetic crystals and optical ceramics for microlithography, optics, laser technology and radiation detection.

Since its foundation in 2010, Hellma Materials has continued the tradition of growing crystals for the photonics industry in Jena, Germany. With the acquisition of a manufacturing site in the USA in 2018, optical ceramics were added to the product portfolio.