KMLabs
KMLabs designs and manufactures tabletop ultrafast VUV, EUV, and soft X-ray laser systems based on high harmonic generation, serving academic research laboratories, national labs, and semiconductor manufacturers studying attosecond dynamics and EUV lithography.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersBoulder, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What KMLabs does
KMLabs, Inc. (formerly Kapteyn-Murnane Laboratories) is a Boulder, Colorado-based private company that designs, manufactures, and sells tabletop ultrafast laser systems for scientific research and advanced manufacturing applications. The company was founded in the 1990s by Dr. Henry Kapteyn and Dr. Margaret Murnane, both physicists at JILA and the University of Colorado Boulder, and operates with 11-50 employees from its Boulder headquarters. Its core technology is high harmonic generation (HHG), including a patented hollow waveguide up-conversion process, which converts femtosecond infrared laser pulses into coherent vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and soft X-ray beams spanning 1 to 200 nm with femtosecond to attosecond time resolution.
The product portfolio includes EUV sources (XUUS, Pantheon), VUV sources (Hyperion VUV), Ti:Sapphire amplifiers (RAEA) and oscillators (Griffin, Halcyon, Collegiate), modular beamline components (Arterium), and accessories (Eclipse pulse picker, beam dumps). These instruments are sold primarily to academic and government research laboratories studying attosecond science, spin dynamics, ARPES, and nanoimaging, and to semiconductor industry partners (notably imec) researching EUV lithography, photoresist behavior, and high-NA imaging. KMLabs' systems are positioned as a compact, table-top alternative to kilometer-scale synchrotron and X-ray free-electron laser facilities.
The company generates revenue through one-time sales of high-value scientific instruments, with a smaller recurring service and support stream from the installed base. GTM is sales-led with direct quoting via the website, supplemented by international distributor partnerships for global reach, and event-driven demand generation through conferences such as CLEO, ICALEO, and OSA. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Cumulative disclosed funding is approximately $21.5M across equity rounds led by Intel Capital and the Colorado Impact Fund, plus NSF and DOE non-dilutive grants. The company has no parent organization and is operated by its founders.
KMLabs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KMLabs
- Legal name
- KMLabs, Inc.
- Website
- https://kmlabs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- KMLabs designs and manufactures tabletop ultrafast VUV, EUV, and soft X-ray laser systems based on high harmonic generation, serving academic research laboratories, national labs, and semiconductor manufacturers studying attosecond dynamics and EUV lithography.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KMLabs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scientific Ultrafast Laser Systems
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Irradiation Apparatus Manufacturing (334517)
- SIC
- Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), X-Ray Apparatus & Tubes & Related Irradiation Apparatus (3844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL) (HDAHALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Lithography Equipment (DUV/EUV) (HDAHAEAA)
Keywords
Where KMLabs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulder
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
KMLabs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Ultrafast Laser System Sales: KMLabs generates revenue through the sale of ultrafast laser systems including EUV sources (XUUS, Pantheon), VUV sources (Hyperion VUV), Ti:Sapphire amplifiers (RAEA), oscillators (Griffin, Halcyon), and accessories (Eclipse pulse picker, beam dumps). These are high-value scientific instruments sold to research institutions and semiconductor manufacturers.
- Beamline Modules and Accessories: Sale of beamline components and accessories including Arterium modules, Eclipse pulse pickers, and beam dumps. These complement core laser systems and provide customization options for specific experimental setups.
- Service and Support: KMLabs provides service and support offerings for their installed base of laser systems, likely including maintenance, calibration, and technical assistance contracts.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
KMLabs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KMLabs designs and manufactures tabletop ultrafast laser sources based on high harmonic generation (HHG) and highly-cascaded harmonic generation (HCHG), spanning the VUV (Vacuum Ultraviolet) to EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) to soft X-ray regions of the spectrum (1 to 200 nm) with femtosecond to attosecond time resolution. The product portfolio includes EUV sources (XUUS, Pantheon), VUV sources (Hyperion VUV), Ti:Sapphire amplifiers (RAEA) and oscillators (Griffin, Halcyon), and configurable beamline modules (Arterium), sold to research institutions, semiconductor manufacturers, and combustion science laboratories.
Product overview
KMLabs offers a portfolio of tabletop ultrafast laser sources spanning the VUV to EUV to soft X-ray regions (1-200 nm) with femtosecond to attosecond time resolution. The product lineup includes: EUV sources (XUUS and Pantheon) for extreme ultraviolet light generation via high harmonic generation; VUV sources (Hyperion VUV) for vacuum ultraviolet applications; Ti:Sapphire amplifiers (RAEA) and oscillators (Griffin, Halcyon Prime) as IR driving laser sources; and beamline modules (Arterium) and accessories (Eclipse pulse picker, beam dumps) for beamline configuration. Legacy products include the Wyvern, Dragon, and Collegiate lines. The core technology centers on high harmonic generation (HHG) and highly-cascaded harmonic generation (HCHG) to deliver synchrotron and X-ray free-electron laser-like capabilities in a compact tabletop format for scientific research, semiconductor manufacturing, and advanced manufacturing applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- XUUS
Quantifiable outcome
- World's first phase-sensitive EUV imaging reflectometer enabled by KMLabs' XUUS source
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use KMLabs
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
KMLabs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
KMLabs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- imeccoreKMLabs collaborates with imec (Leuven, Belgium) and SPECS Surface Nano Analysis GmbH on the 'AttoLab' project to study EUV photoresist fundamentals using tabletop HHG coherent light sources at 13.5-30 nm with femtosecond to attosecond time resolution. This partnership aims to advance understanding of EUV lithography for next-generation semiconductor chip manufacturing.
- SPECS Surface Nano Analysis GmbHcorePart of the AttoLab joint collaboration with imec and KMLabs, SPECS contributes surface nano analysis capabilities to the partnership focused on EUV photoresist characterization using coherent EUV light sources.
- CU Boulder / JILAminorResearchers at KMLabs collaborated with CU Boulder and JILA to develop and demonstrate the Hyperion VUV technology for combustion science applications, first described in Proceedings of the Combustion Institute.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KMLabs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Coherent: Coherent is one of the largest global photonics and laser companies, offering ultrafast Ti:Sapphire amplifiers, scientific lasers, and EUV/UV sources. It competes broadly with KMLabs in the ultrafast laser market while serving a much wider portfolio of industrial and scientific customers.
- Spectra-Physics (MKS Instruments): Spectra-Physics manufactures ultrafast Ti:Sapphire amplifiers (e.g., Solstice Ace) that pair directly with KMLabs' XUUS EUV source. It is a major incumbent in ultrafast laser systems with comparable femtosecond amplifier technology and a much larger installed base.
- TRUMPF Scientific Lasers: TRUMPF's scientific lasers division offers high-power ultrafast disk and fiber lasers used in HHG and EUV generation experiments. It competes with KMLabs for the same research-grade ultrafast customer base and is expanding into VUV/EUV sources.
- Hamamatsu Photonics: Hamamatsu supplies EUV and soft X-ray sources, detectors, and related instrumentation for semiconductor metrology and research. It is a broader incumbent in short-wavelength photonics with overlapping EUV source technology for similar customers.
Direct peers
- Light Conversion: Light Conversion produces the PHAROS and CARBIDE femtosecond Ytterbium lasers, explicitly cited on KMLabs' site as compatible driving lasers for the XUUS. It directly overlaps with KMLabs in serving ultrafast spectroscopy and HHG research customers with complementary (and sometimes competing) capabilities.
- M Squared Lasers: M Squared manufactures ultrafast Ti:Sapphire lasers, narrow-linewidth systems, and photonics instrumentation for quantum and attosecond research. It overlaps directly with KMLabs in serving academic and government labs pushing the frontier of ultrafast light sources.
- Clark MXR: Clark MXR is a US-based specialist in ultrafast Ti:Sapphire amplifiers and oscillators (e.g., IMPULSE, AXIOM) used in HHG and EUV research. It is a direct peer to KMLabs' RAEA amplifier line and shares the same scientific instrument customer profile.
- Amplitude Laser Group: Amplitude produces high-energy ultrafast Ti:Sapphire and Ytterbium lasers (S-pulse, Tangor) for scientific and industrial applications, including HHG and attosecond science. It is a direct competitor to KMLabs' RAEA and serves a very similar customer base.
Emerging players
- Toptica Photonics: Toptica offers femtosecond lasers (e.g., FemtoFiber) and VUV/EUV frequency conversion systems for cold-atom and spectroscopy applications. It competes in adjacent ultrafast and short-wavelength niches and serves similar academic customers.
- Energetiq Technology: Energetiq develops laser-driven plasma EUV and DUV light sources for semiconductor metrology and analytical instruments. It is an emerging player competing with KMLabs' HHG-based approach in EUV source applications, particularly for industrial metrology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KMLabs social profiles
Digital presenceKMLabs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KMLabs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
KMLabs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KMLabs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KMLabs
What does KMLabs do?
KMLabs designs and manufactures tabletop ultrafast laser sources based on high harmonic generation (HHG) and highly-cascaded harmonic generation (HCHG), spanning the VUV (Vacuum Ultraviolet) to EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) to soft X-ray regions of the spectrum (1 to 200 nm) with femtosecond to attosecond time resolution. The product portfolio includes EUV sources (XUUS, Pantheon), VUV sources (Hyperion VUV), Ti:Sapphire amplifiers (RAEA) and oscillators (Griffin, Halcyon), and configurable beamline modules (Arterium), sold to research institutions, semiconductor manufacturers, and combustion science laboratories.
Is KMLabs a public or private company?
KMLabs is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was KMLabs founded?
KMLabs was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KMLabs based?
KMLabs is headquartered in Boulder, United States, in the North America region.
How does KMLabs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ultrafast Laser System Sales are the primary driver. The others are beamline Modules and Accessories and service and Support.
Who are KMLabs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Coherent, Spectra-Physics (MKS Instruments), TRUMPF Scientific Lasers and Hamamatsu Photonics. Direct peers are Light Conversion, M Squared Lasers, Clark MXR and Amplitude Laser Group. Emerging players are Toptica Photonics and Energetiq Technology.
Does KMLabs have an API?
No public API is recorded for KMLabs.
What industry is KMLabs in?
KMLabs's product category is Scientific Ultrafast Laser Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAL, Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL), with a secondary code of HDAHAEAA, Lithography Equipment (DUV/EUV). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3826.