What QED Technologies does

QED Technologies International LLC, founded in 1996 and headquartered at 1040 University Ave, Rochester, NY, develops and manufactures precision optics production systems built on three proprietary technology platforms: MRF (Magnetorheological Finishing) for sub-nanometer surface corrections, SSI (Subaperture Stitching Interferometry) for metrology of small and mid-sized optics, and NMF (Nanomefos) for non-contact measurement of freeform and large-diameter optics. The product portfolio spans capital equipment (Q-flex MRF-100/300, Q-forge MRF-600, ASI-300/480/550, NMF-350/600/800/1000, QDS Deflectometer, QIS Interferometer), the QED.NET control software, MR fluid consumables, and an in-house custom optics fabrication service covering components from 100mm to meter-class. The company also operates a European headquarters in the Netherlands acquired through the June 2024 purchase of Dutch United Instruments.

Revenue is generated through four streams: capital equipment sales, custom optics fabrication contracts, consumables (MR fluids), and recurring service and support for the installed base. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales into semiconductor fabrication, space and astronomy, defense and aerospace, fusion research, and third-party precision optics manufacturers. Distribution is direct with no channel intermediaries, supported by a technical content-driven website, case studies, industry events, and a customer portal. The company employs 101–250 people and, as of 2026, completed an $18.7 million Rochester expansion adding 20,000 sq ft of R&D and fabrication capacity, with up to 72 new jobs projected over five years and partial funding from the New York Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program.

Name

QED Technologies

Legal name

QED Technologies International LLC

Website

https://qedmrf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

QED Technologies is a Rochester, NY-based precision optics manufacturer that sells MRF polishing machines, SSI/NMF metrology systems, and custom fabricated optical components to enterprise customers in semiconductor, space, defense, aerospace, and fusion-research sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Optics Manufacturing Equipment

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451), Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (334419)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Machine Vision & Optical Sensing (Cameras, 3D vision, LiDAR, illumination) (IMAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs) (HDAHAAAH)

Keywords

• Precision optics manufacturing
• Magnetorheological finishing
• Optical metrology systems
• Subaperture stitching interferometry
• Custom optics fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Precision Optics Manufacturing Equipment: Sale of MRF polishing machines (Q-flex MRF-100, Q-flex MRF-300, Q-forge MRF-600) and metrology systems (ASI-300/480/550, NMF-350/600/800/1000, QDS Deflectometer, QIS Interferometer) to aerospace, defense, semiconductor, and research organizations.
2. Custom Optics Fabrication: In-house fabrication of precision optical components ranging from 100mm to meter-class, serving customers with challenging, large, tight-tolerance, or complex geometry requirements.
3. MR Fluids: Sale of Magnetorheological fluids and consumables required for MRF polishing operations.
4. Service & Support: Ongoing service, support, and training for installed equipment base.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

QED Technologies designs, manufactures, and sells precision optics manufacturing equipment, including MRF (Magnetorheological Finishing) polishing machines (Q-flex MRF-100/300, Q-forge MRF-600), SSI and NMF metrology systems (ASI-300/480/550, NMF-350/600/800/1000, QDS Deflectometer, QIS Interferometer), and the QED.NET software platform that integrates machine control. The company also provides in-house custom optics fabrication services for complex optical components from 100mm to meter-class scale, plus MR Fluids consumables and ongoing service and support.

Product overview

QED Technologies delivers advanced manufacturing solutions for precision optics through three integrated technology platforms: MRF (Magnetorheological Finishing) polishing, SSI (Subaperture Stitching Interferometry) and NMF (Nanomefos) metrology, and QED.NET software. The MRF product line includes Q-flex MRF-100, Q-flex MRF-300, Q-forge MRF-600 machines plus MR Fluids consumables. The metrology portfolio comprises ASI-300, ASI-480, ASI-550 interferometers (SSI technology) and NMF-350, NMF-600, NMF-800, NMF-1000 systems (NMF technology), along with QDS Deflectometer and QIS Interferometer. QED.NET software unifies machine control across polishing and metrology systems. The company also offers QED Optics Fabrication services for custom precision optical components. This integrated ecosystem supports the entire optical manufacturing process from machining through metrology and fabrication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• QED Optics: Custom optics manufacturing division providing precision optical components ranging from 100mm to meter-class, including challenging, large, tight-tolerance, or complex geometry optics
• Q-flex
• Q-forge
• ASI
• NMF
• QDS
• QIS
• QED.NET

Products and services

• Q-flex MRF-100 Magnetorheological finishing machine providing ultra-precise surface corrections and polishing for complex optics at final stages of optical fabrication, targeting precision optics manufacturers in aerospace, defense, semiconductor, and research sectors.
• Q-flex MRF-300 Magnetorheological finishing machine offering enhanced capability and flexibility for precision optics polishing applications at final stages of optical fabrication.
• Q-forge MRF-600 Advanced magnetorheological finishing machine for large-scale precision optics polishing and form correction, supporting meter-class optical components.
• MR Fluids Specialized magnetorheological fluids and consumables required for MRF polishing processes for precision optics finishing.
• ASI-300 Subaperture stitching interferometry system for accurate metrology of small optics, qualifying surface accuracy at early or final stages of fabrication.
• ASI-480 Subaperture stitching interferometry system for mid-sized optics metrology using advanced stitching techniques.
• ASI-550 Subaperture stitching interferometry system for precision surface accuracy measurement of optical components.
• NMF-350 Nanomefos metrology system providing high-speed, high-accuracy measurement of form and surface errors for freeform and large-diameter optics.
• NMF-600 Nanomefos metrology system for measuring complex aspheric and freeform optical shapes with nanometer-level accuracy.
• NMF-800 Nanomefos metrology system for high-accuracy measurement of large-diameter optics and complex geometries.
• NMF-1000 Nanomefos metrology system for meter-class optics measurement, enabling non-contact nanometer-accurate measurement of large optics.
• QDS Deflectometer Deflectometer system for optical metrology and surface quality measurement.
• QIS Interferometer Interferometer system for precision optical measurement and surface characterization.
• QED.NET Software Overarching software platform that drives QED Technologies' family of MRF polishing and SSI metrology machines, providing integrated control and processing capabilities.
• QED Optics Fabrication Services Custom optics manufacturing service providing premium fabrication of large, challenging, or highly precise optical components ranging from 100mm to meter-class size for customers with difficult specifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sub-nanometer form accuracy achievable with MRF finishing
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and historical.

• Dutch United Instruments (DUI)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2024QED acquired Dutch United Instruments in June 2024, including its Nanomefos (NMF) metrology platform. This acquisition strengthened QED's precision optics manufacturing capabilities and established a European headquarters in the Netherlands. The NMF technology provides non-contact, nanometer-accurate measurement for complex freeform and aspheric optics, complementing QED's existing MRF and SSI solutions.
• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research)historicalTechnology or IntegrationDutch United Instruments was originally a spin-off of the Dutch research institute TNO. QED's acquisition of DUI provides indirect heritage connection to TNO-developed metrology technology.
• Demcon GrouphistoricalTechnology or IntegrationDutch United Instruments was developed and industrialized within the Demcon group before being acquired by QED Technologies in June 2024.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SCHOTT: SCHOTT manufactures advanced optical materials and large-format precision optics for semiconductor, space, and defense applications, overlapping with QED in meter-class and high-tolerance optics.
• Coherent Corp (formerly II-VI): Coherent is a major photonics and laser-optics platform serving semiconductor lithography and aerospace, supplying competing precision optics and laser-system components to QED's customer base.
• Edmund Optics: Edmund Optics manufactures and distributes a broad catalog of optical components and assemblies, competing with QED Optics in custom and large-format optics from a much larger commercial footprint.
• Thorlabs: Thorlabs is a broad-line photonics supplier offering optics, optomechanics, and metrology instruments, with overlapping freeform and aspheric metrology offerings but a much wider portfolio than QED.

Emerging players

• 4D Technology: 4D Technology develops interferometric and dynamic metrology instruments for optical surface measurement, a smaller specialist that overlaps with QED's SSI/NMF product lines in research and industrial metrology.
• Sentech Instruments: Sentech specializes in optical measurement and thin-film metrology, a regional specialist competing partially with QED's NMF and QIS interferometer lines in European research and industrial accounts.

Direct peers

• Optimax Systems: Optimax manufactures custom precision optical components and is also a QED customer for MRF polishing capability, competing with QED Optics in the contract precision-optics fabrication segment.
• OptiPro Systems: OptiPro builds precision optical manufacturing equipment (CNC optics grinding/polishing and metrology), competing head-to-head with QED in the optics fabrication equipment market serving aerospace and defense customers.
• Zygo Corporation (AMETEK): Zygo is a leading manufacturer of optical metrology instruments (interferometers, profilometers) and precision optics, directly comparable to QED's SSI and custom-optics businesses and overlapping in semiconductor and research customers.
• Precision Surfacing Solutions (Lapmaster): Lapmaster/PSS supplies precision surface finishing and optical fabrication equipment, addressing overlapping use cases in optical polishing and metrology with QED's MRF and SSI platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qed-technologies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QED Technologies