What Attocube Systems does

Attocube Systems GmbH is a German manufacturer of precision nanotechnology instruments, founded in 2001 and headquartered at its 9,100 m² NanoFactory facility in Haar near Munich. The company designs and builds piezoelectric nanopositioners, fiber-based laser interferometric displacement sensors (notably the IDS3010), closed-cycle cryostats (attoDRY series, down to 1.65K and mK ranges), and a family of scanning-probe and confocal microscopes (attoAFM, attoCFM, attoAFM/CFM, IRa-SCOPE) for operation under extreme conditions including cryogenic temperatures, high magnetic fields, ultra-high vacuum, and radiation environments. Core intellectual property includes patented fiber-based interferometric position sensing (FPSensor), SafeTip SPM protection, and proprietary vibration-damping technology for cryogen-free operation that competes with liquid-helium systems.

The company's commercial model is direct enterprise sales of high-ASP capital equipment via custom quotation, supplemented by aftermarket services (installation, maintenance, spare parts, remote support) and OEM component supply. Customers are segmented across research institutions and universities (Harvard, Cambridge, LMU Munich, ETH Zurich, Stanford, Cornell, Basel), large-scale research facilities (DESY, CERN), quantum-technology companies, semiconductor OEMs, and precision-engineering/metrology users. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the firm operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of WITTENSTEIN Group, with Daniel Cohn and Dr. Michael Schweitzer serving as Managing Directors.

Attocube pursues an ecosystem-led growth strategy, evidenced by joint development partnerships with WITec (cryoRaman cryogenic Raman microscope) and SPECS Zurich (Nanonis Mimea SPM controller), a technology integration with QZabre for NV-center diamond tips, and the 2014 acquisition of Neaspec to extend into nanoscale optical analytics. The product roadmap is anchored on the attoDRY2200 ultra-low-vibration cryostat and the IRa-SCOPE nano-FTIR/AFM-IR/Raman/LDIR spectroscopy platform, targeting quantum sensing, 2D materials, polymers, novel energy materials, and life-science applications in addition to the core semiconductor and physics-research base.

Name

Attocube Systems

Legal name

attocube systems GmbH

Website

https://attocube.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Attocube Systems designs and manufactures piezoelectric nanopositioners, closed-cycle cryostats, scanning-probe and confocal microscopes, and laser interferometers for nanoscale precision motion and measurement under extreme conditions, serving research universities, large-scale research facilities, quantum-technology firms, and semiconductor OEMs globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Instrumentation - Nanopositioning and Cryogenic Microscopy

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Cryogenic Systems & Cryostats (HDAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Calibration, Characterization & Test Instrumentation (Cryo/RF) (HDAGABAM), Microscopy, Imaging & Flow Cytometry Instruments (HLAGAIAE), Quantum Sensor Components & Subsystems (Lasers, Vacuum, Photonics, Diamond/NV, MEMS) (HDAGAHAM)

Keywords

• Nanopositioning systems
• Closed-cycle cryostats
• Scanning probe microscopes
• Cryogenic instrumentation
• Nanoscale imaging spectroscopy

Headquarters

HQ city

Muenchen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scientific Instrument Sales: Sale of precision scientific instruments including cryostats, microscopes, nanopositioners, and displacement sensors. Products are sold as complete systems or individual components for OEM integration. Revenue is generated through one-time capital equipment purchases with potential for aftermarket support, accessories, and upgrades.
2. Aftermarket and Services: Professional installation, on-site service, maintenance support, and sale of spare parts and accessories. The company provides comprehensive after-sales support including remote support services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Attocube Systems designs, manufactures, and sells precision scientific instruments for nanoscale applications, including piezoelectric nanopositioners, laser interferometric displacement sensors, closed-cycle cryostats, and scanning probe/confocal microscope systems. The products enable sub-nanometer positioning and measurement under extreme conditions (cryogenic temperatures down to 1.65K, high magnetic fields up to 14T, ultra-high vacuum) for research institutions, semiconductor OEMs, and quantum technology developers.

Product overview

Attocube Systems provides a comprehensive portfolio of nanotechnology solutions for precision motion and nanopositioning, cryogenic microscopy, and nanoscale analytics across three business sectors. The product portfolio spans five main categories: (1) Closed-cycle cryostats (attoDRY1000, attoDRY2100, attoDRY2200) providing cryogen-free cooling from room temperature to 1.65K with optional vector magnets; (2) Scanning probe and confocal microscopes including attoAFM I, attoAFM III, attoAFM/CFM, attoCFM I, attoCFM I rotation, attoCFM IV, and the jointly-developed cryoRaman with WITec; (3) Nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy systems such as IRa-SCOPE combining nano-FTIR, AFM-IR, confocal Raman, and LDIR micro-IR; (4) Nanopositioners and displacement sensors including low-temperature and vacuum-compatible positioners, and the IDS3010 laser interferometer; (5) Supporting electronics including the Nanonis Mimea SPM controller (co-developed with SPECS Zurich), LDM600 laser detector module, and /RES closed-loop upgrade. Products are designed to function from ambient to ultra-low temperature, high magnetic fields, and ultra-high vacuum conditions, serving semiconductor, optics/photonics, quantum technology, scientific instruments, and research applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• attoDRY1000 Closed-cycle cryostat for sensitive measurements at variable and low temperatures, providing cryogen-free operation with easy sample exchange. Used in research and industrial cryogenic measurement setups.
• attoDRY2100 Closed-cycle cryostat with variable temperature control for cryogenic microscopy and spectroscopy applications, enabling nanopositioning and imaging at low temperatures.
• attoDRY2200 Ultra-low vibration closed-cycle cryostat with automated toploading and vector magnet compatibility for ultra-sensitive SPM measurements at temperatures down to 1.65K. Achieves nanometer lateral resolution matching or outperforming liquid-helium-based cryostats.
• attoAFM I Scanning probe microscope for atomic force microscopy at variable temperatures down to cryogenic conditions, used by research institutions for materials characterization.
• attoAFM III High-performance scanning probe microscope for advanced AFM applications at cryogenic temperatures with large scan range.
• attoAFM/CFM Combined atomic force and confocal microscope for use at variable temperature down to mK and in high magnetic fields, featuring integrated NV-center based magnetometry (ODMR) for nanoscale magnetic imaging in quantum sensing applications.
• attoCFM I Confocal microscope platform for low-temperature optical measurements with external optics head for flexible configuration in quantum optics and spectroscopy applications.
• attoCFM I rotation Free-beam rotational confocal microscope integrating a nanorotator and 9-3T vector magnet for in-situ sample rotation with minimal wobble, enabling magnetooptics and quantum optics applications.
• attoCFM IV Free-beam and fiber-based confocal microscope for transmission experiments, combining attoCFM I and attoCFM III capabilities with independent xyz-positioning of both objectives.
• IRa-SCOPE Nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy platform combining nano-FTIR, AFM-IR, confocal Raman micro-spectroscopy, LDIR micro-IR spectroscopy, and AFM for multi-scale surface characterization with sub-10nm spatial resolution.
• cryoRaman Cryogenic Raman imaging microscope jointly developed with WITec, integrating Attocube's cryostat and nanopositioner technology with WITec's correlative microscope series for hyperspectral Raman imaging at low temperatures and high magnetic fields.
• atto3DR Double rotator system for transport measurements in cryogenic environments, enabling angular-dependent quantum transport studies.
• attoTMS Measurement tool for material characterization at low temperatures and in high magnetic fields.
• Cryogenic Photonic Probe Station Measurement platform for cryogenic probing of photonic integrated circuits and quantum components.
• Low Temperature Nanopositioners Piezoelectric nanopositioners designed for ambient to extreme environments including cryogenic temperatures and high magnetic fields, used in OEM integration and research applications.
• Ambient and Vacuum Nanopositioners Nanopositioning systems for research and industry applications operating in ambient conditions and ultra-high vacuum environments.
• Displacement Measuring Interferometer (IDS3010) Modular laser interferometer for nanometer-range displacement measurement with fiber-based design, contactless measurement under extreme environments.
• Nanonis Mimea Fully digital SPM controller jointly developed by attocube and SPECS Zurich. Features integrated temperature and magnetic field control, closed-loop scanning with IDS sensor feedback, and preset parameters for standard SPM techniques.
• Customized Nanopositioning Solutions Custom engineering services for tailored nanopositioning systems to meet specific OEM application requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sub-10 nm spatial resolution in nano-IR spectroscopy with IRa-SCOPE
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WITeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development partnership for cryoRaman microscope combining Attocube's cryostat and nanopositioner technology with WITec's correlative microscope series, Raman spectrometer, and software. The cryoRaman integrates Attocube's attoDRY2100 cryostat with WITec's ultra-high throughput spectrometer and CCD detectors for cryogenic Raman imaging.
• SPECS ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to jointly develop and bring to market the Nanonis Mimea attocube edition - a novel SPM controller combining Attocube's cryogenic equipment expertise with SPECS' Nanonis controller technology. Features integration with Attocube cryostats and scanning microscopes while maintaining all previous Nanonis functionalities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bluefors: Finnish manufacturer of cryogen-free dilution refrigerators and cryogenic systems for quantum computing and research. Directly comparable to Attocube's attoDRY closed-cycle cryostat product line, serving overlapping quantum technology customers.
• Montana Instruments: US-based company specializing in cryostats and optical cryogenic systems for quantum, materials, and life science applications. Direct competitor in closed-cycle cryostat and microscopy integration.
• Physik Instrumente (PI): Global leader in precision motion and nanopositioning systems. Directly comparable to Attocube's piezoelectric nanopositioner business, with overlapping OEM customers in semiconductor equipment and photonics.
• Lake Shore Cryotronics: US-based manufacturer of cryogenic temperature sensors, cryostats, and materials characterization instruments. Comparable product portfolio in cryogenic measurement systems serving quantum and materials research customers.
• SPECS Zurich: Manufacturer of SPM controllers and surface analysis systems (Nanonis). Partner with Attocube on the jointly developed Nanonis Mimea controller, competing in adjacent SPM controller and surface science instrumentation markets.
• Oxford Instruments NanoScience: Division of Oxford Instruments producing cryostats and low-temperature measurement systems for quantum, condensed matter, and materials research. Directly competes with Attocube in cryogenic instrumentation for advanced physics labs.
• Janis Research / Lake Shore Cryotronics: Provider of cryogenic research systems including continuous-flow and variable-temperature cryostats. Comparable product line for materials, physics, and condensed matter research customers.

Broad incumbents

• Quantum Design: Manufacturer of physical property measurement systems (PPMS), cryogenic instruments, and supporting electronics. Broader portfolio serving materials and condensed matter research with overlapping cryogenic instrumentation capabilities.
• WITec: German manufacturer of confocal Raman and correlative microscopy systems. Partner with Attocube on the cryoRaman product, competing in Raman imaging and correlative microscopy markets.
• Bruker Nano Surfaces: Division of Bruker producing AFM, SPM, and optical metrology instruments. Wider portfolio with broader customer base but overlapping atomic force microscopy and nanoscale analytics offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/attocube-systems-ag-163751137033789
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/attocube-systems-ag

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Attocube Systems