Optec
Optec S.p.A. is an Italian precision optical and optoelectronic systems integrator, founded in 1985, designing custom optical payloads, IR lenses, multichannel cameras, and laser systems for aerospace, defense, biomedical, and industrial customers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersParabiago, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Optec does
Optec S.p.A., founded in 1985 and headquartered in Parabiago, Italy, is a precision optical and optoelectronic systems integrator serving aerospace, defense, biomedical, industrial automation, and scientific research customers. The company operates three manufacturing plants in the Lombardy region (Parabiago and Busto Garolfo) plus a US subsidiary, Optec America, in Chatsworth, California. Aerospace is the primary segment, evidenced by participation in flagship European space programs — ESA's Solar Orbiter (METIS polarimeter), JUICE (MAJIS TMA mirrors), Sentinel 4 (OGSE), and ASI-led CubeSat missions including LICIACube and ARGOMOON — alongside commercial-satellite work with OHB Italia and Argotec.
Core products span four integrated optical lines: IR lenses (SWIR, V-SWIR, LWIR) with focal lengths from 7.5mm to 1000mm and multiple camera mounts; space optical systems including the OB-Space catalog and mission-specific optical payloads qualified for space environmental conditions; multichannel cameras (3 to 6 channels) based on the Philips prism principle, with sub-0.3 micron detector alignment achieved in ISO 5 clean rooms; and industrial laser optical systems for welding, cutting, cladding, and wobbling up to 30 kW. Distinctive technical differentiators include claimed world-only capability to produce 5- and 6-channel cameras, a catalog SWIR lineup with focal lengths over 100mm, patent-pending laser wobbling technology (WO2013/072817), and proprietary STOP and straylight analysis tooling validated against ECSS and MIL standards.
The business model is custom project-based B2B engineering: most deliveries are configured per customer specification rather than sold from catalog, with revenue streams comprising custom optical system sales, consulting and R&D services (feasibility, design, simulation, verification, testing), and multichannel camera hardware. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company offers a 12-month warranty and RMA service. Distribution is overwhelmingly direct — through enterprise sales, partnerships with space agencies and primes, and trade shows (SATshow, Space Symposium, SPIE DCS, ESA Industry Space Days, Space Tech Expo Europe) — supplemented by downloadable ZEMAX black-box files for customer-side integration. Optec is a private Italian S.p.A. organized as a Sole Shareholder Company within the GRM Holding corporate group; no external funding rounds have been disclosed.
Optec firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Optec
- Legal name
- Optec S.p.A.
- Website
- https://optec.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Optec S.p.A. is an Italian precision optical and optoelectronic systems integrator, founded in 1985, designing custom optical payloads, IR lenses, multichannel cameras, and laser systems for aerospace, defense, biomedical, and industrial customers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Optec industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Optical and Optoelectronic Systems
- NAICS
- Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL) (HDAHALAL), Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF)
Keywords
Where Optec is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Parabiago
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Optec business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Optical Systems Sales: Optec designs and manufactures custom optical and optoelectronic systems for aerospace, defense, biomedical, and industrial applications. Products include IR lenses (SWIR, V-SWIR, LWIR), multichannel cameras, laser systems, and space optical payloads. Each product is customized for customer specifications with no catalog products for multichannel cameras.
- Consulting and R&D Services: Optec provides research and development consulting services including feasibility studies, optical design, simulations, validation and verification, and test prescription. Services include testing, calibration, and straylight analysis for optical components and systems.
- Multichannel Camera Systems: Multichannel cameras for industrial control, military applications, and medical sector. The company was first to produce 3-channel autoclavable camera for laparoscopy and 5-channel camera for surgery. Cameras are normally customized per customer.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Optec product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Optec designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and tests custom optical and optoelectronic systems across four core product lines: IR lenses (SWIR, V-SWIR, LWIR), space optical payloads and instruments, multichannel prism cameras (3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-channel), and industrial laser optical systems for welding, cutting, cladding, and wobbling. The company operates three plants in Lombardy (Parabiago and Busto Garolfo) plus a US subsidiary (Optec America in Chatsworth, CA), delivering customized solutions for aerospace, defense, biomedical, industrial automation, and scientific research applications.
Product overview
Optec S.p.A. is a precision optical and optoelectronic systems company founded in 1985, offering complete integrated optical systems rather than just individual components. Its product portfolio spans four core product lines: IR Lenses (SWIR, V-SWIR, and LWIR lenses with focal lengths from 7.5mm to 1000mm, available with manual or motorized focus/iris across multiple camera mounts); Space Optical Systems (OB-Space lens catalog with 20+ models for satellites and space stations, plus custom mission-specific optical payloads for solar observation, planetary exploration, and Earth observation missions including METIS, JUICE, ARGOMOON, LICIA Cube, EAGLET, and NEMO HD); Multichannel Cameras (the company's most advanced product line, covering 3, 4, 5, and 6-channel cameras using the Philips prism principle, with alignment accuracy better than 0.3 microns, used in industrial inspection, defense, and medical sectors); and Laser Systems (industrial laser optical systems for welding, cutting, cladding, and wobbling applications, handling power from mW to 30kW, including the proprietary SmartLaser system for COMAU). The company also provides optical consulting and R&D services, testing and calibration (including ISO5 clean rooms and TVAC facilities), and RMA/COC services. Products are sold primarily through custom manufacturing rather than a standard catalog, with many items customized per customer specification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OB-SWIR Lenses Short-Wavelength Infrared (SWIR) lens lineup covering 900-1700nm, 1700-2400nm, and 900-2400nm extended bands with focal lengths from 16mm to 1000mm, available with manual or motorized focus and iris across multiple camera mounts (Canon FD, Nikon, C-Mount, CS-Mount, M42 Screw). Designed for industrial inspection, defense, and machine vision OEMs.
- SWIR Zoom Lenses Motorized SWIR zoom lenses including the Lens Zoom Swir 7x (75-500mm, F/6, up to 9kg) and Metric Zoom Swir 7x (15.6-2.35° FOV, up to 18kg), with computer-controlled linear motor systems for variable spot size, focal distance, and working distance.
- OB-V-SWIR Lenses Visible-SWIR (V-SWIR) lenses optimized for the 400-1700nm band, covering both visible spectrum and near-infrared simultaneously, with focal lengths from 16mm to 100mm. Used for 860nm, 1064nm, and 1550nm laser line detection, active imaging, airborne payload, fog penetration, range finding, semiconductor and solar cell inspection, telecommunications, and thermography.
- OB-LWIR Lenses Long-Wavelength Infrared (LWIR) lenses for 8-14 micron thermal imaging and heat source detection, with focal lengths from 7.5mm to 100mm, high F/N, and excellent transmission characteristics. Includes an athermalized 75mm F/1.3 variant for operation across wide temperature ranges.
- OB-Space Lenses Catalog of space-compliant lenses with 20+ models from 5.4mm to 856mm focal length, low-outgassing materials and special/exotic alloys, including diffraction-limited variants such as OB-Space F222.45/3. Designed for satellites, space stations, and on-orbit applications.
- Space Optical Instruments and Payloads Custom-designed optical instruments and payloads for space missions spanning satellite Earth observation (EAGLET, ARGOMOON, NEMO-HD), solar observation (METIS Solar Orbiter, ANTARTICOR coronagraph), planetary exploration (JUICE MAJIS TMA), and optical ground support equipment (Sentinel IV OGSE collimator). Each instrument is engineered to customer specifications and qualified for space environments.
- Multichannel Prism Cameras Multichannel cameras in 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-channel variants using the Philips prism principle to split white light into RGB plus additional spectral channels, with sub-0.3 micron inter-channel alignment via proprietary software and dedicated benches in ISO 5 clean rooms. Includes the first-in-world 3-channel autoclavable camera for laparoscopy and 5-channel cameras for surgery. Sold for industrial inspection, military, and medical applications, normally customized per customer.
- SmartLaser Welding System High-power laser welding optical system (SmartLaser) developed with COMAU, capable of working more than 750mm from the target across a 350mm x 450mm x 270° working volume with linear motor accelerations up to 8g. Uses 9 optical elements and 2 mirrors with less than 5% power loss.
- Laser Cutting Optical Systems Laser cutting optical heads functioning as zoom lenses with 5X magnification (80-400 micron spot variation) for 50-micron fiber input, with linear motor systems enabling variable cutting distance ±10mm from the nominal focal plane. Capable of cutting 0.2mm to 20-25mm thickness in linear, 90°, and 3D cutting configurations.
- Laser Cladding Optical Heads Optical heads for laser cladding and surface treatment of metal surfaces (surface hardening, nitriding, anti-wear) generating circular, elliptical, and rectangular spots with up to 4kW laser power. Enables localized treatment that reduces powder usage and energy consumption versus traditional thermal ovens.
- Laser Wobbling Modules Patent-pending (WO2013/072817) modular wobbling system that rotates the laser beam to generate axisymmetric tool welding, allowing millimeter-scale spots while maintaining the radiance of tens-of-micron spot sizes. Compatible with any welding head on the market.
- Laser Optical Components Laser optical components including F-Theta lenses, beam expanders, collimators, mirrors, prisms, scanner lenses, zoom lenses, and custom optics with anti-reflection coatings for laser power from mW to 30kW, manufactured in Fused Silica, Quartz, ZnSe, ZnS, and Beryllium with energy density validated up to 50W/mm².
- Defense Optical Systems Portfolio of advanced optical systems for defense and security applications including surveillance and reconnaissance systems, designed for reliability, precision, and adaptability in mission-critical military and law enforcement environments across airborne and ground platforms.
- Optical Consulting and R&D Services Comprehensive R&D consulting for optical and optoelectronic systems, covering feasibility analysis, design, optical simulations, advanced FE analyses, validation and verification, test prescription, STOP analysis, straylight analysis, and thermal-vacuum testing using ZEMAX OpticStudio and LightTools.
- Testing, Calibration and Straylight Analysis Services Testing, calibration, and straylight analysis services for optical components and systems, including WFE/MTF evaluation, absolute measurement of plano and spherical surfaces, transmissivity/reflectivity analysis, focal length measurement, and end-to-end testing. Backed by ISO 5 clean rooms with TVAC and thermal chambers.
- RMA (Return Material Authorization) Service Return Material Authorization procedure covering 12-month warranty repairs (free of charge), out-of-warranty repair quotes with failure investigation costs, and hardware inspections, requiring an RMA number from QA and Part Number / Serial Number labeling.
- COC (Certificate of Conformance) Service Certificate of Conformance service providing Part Number and Serial Number documentation confirming product compliance with contractual specifications, with downloadable procedure from the website.
Quantifiable outcome
- Energy loss less than 5% in laser welding systems with 9 optical elements and 2 mirrors
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Optec
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Optec technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature6 records
Optec partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- OHB ItaliacoreOHB Italia is the prime contractor for Italy's IRIDE Earth observation programme. Optec supplies optical payloads and components for satellites in the IRIDE constellation. The programme aims to scale to 68 satellites by 2027.
- ArgoteccoreArgotec assembled the ARGOMOON microsatellite (6U CubeSat) coordinated by the Italian Space Agency for the Artemis 1 mission. Optec designed, manufactured, integrated and tested the two optical payloads - a wide-angle tracking/navigation lens and a 400mm focal length telescope.
- ASI (Italian Space Agency)coreASI coordinates the LICIACube (Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging of Asteroids), a six-unit CubeSat for the DART mission. Optec designed, manufactured, integrated and tested the OPTICAL Payload of LEIA - a Catadioptric camera with 2.06° FoV and 25 microradian/pixel resolution.
- Space-SIcoreSpace-SI (Slovenian Centre of Excellence for Space Sciences and Technologies) developed the NEMO-HD high-performance multispectral Earth observation microsatellite. Optec designed, manufactured, integrated and tested the 13 lens elements telescope, focus mechanism and 6 channel prisms camera.
- INAFcoreINAF (National Institute of Astrophysics) leads the international collaboration for the METIS experiment on ESA's Solar Orbiter. Optec designed, manufactured, integrated and tested the Polarimeter Optical Unit. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) funds the project.
- OHB ItaliacoreOHB Italia developed the EAGLET 1 nano-satellite for Earth Observation and maritime surveillance. Optec designed, manufactured, integrated and tested its high-resolution optical payload - a diffraction limited 500mm focal length mangin telescope.
- ESA (European Space Agency)coreESA collaborates with Optec on multiple space missions including Solar Orbiter METIS, JUICE, PROBA 3, and ARGOMOON. Optec supplies optical instruments, telescopes, and support equipment for various ESA programs.
- SFL-UTIAS (Space Flight Laboratory)coreSFL and University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies collaborated with Optec to design, manufacture and qualify the first extremely high resolution dioptric satellite, limited in resolution only by diffraction, able to resolve 2m on Earth.
- COMAUcoreCOMAU partnered with Optec for the SmartLaser remote laser welding system development. Optec developed the focusing and repositioning module with collimator and focus system, achieving constant spot welding in working volume of 350mm x 450mm x 270°.
- AIRBUScoreAIRBUS contracted Optec for Sentinel 4 OGSE (On Ground Support Equipment) in collaboration with MICOS. Optec manufactures collimator units and condensing optics for verification and calibration of optical systems.
- EICAS/TYVAKcoreOptec developed the ARGO innovative standalone StarTracker for EICAS/TYVAK, contributing optical systems for satellite navigation and attitude determination.
- TecnotticacorePartner with Tecnottica for advanced optical system development under ASI contract for navigation tools for interplanetary exploration.
- CGScoreIn 2001, collaborated with CGS to design and implement various optical systems still in use in BIOLAB of the ISS.
- Osservatorio di Astrofisica di Torino (OATO)coreIn 2003, collaborated with OATO for SCORE experiment and optical unit for solar corona analyzer.
- Technosystem Developments (TSD)coreIn 2010, collaborated with TDS for optical unit for PRISMA mission (operational in geostationary orbit) and under ASI contract for interplanetary exploration navigation tools.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Optec competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Thorlabs: US-based photonics components and instruments company with deep catalog of lenses, optical modules, and laser components. Comparable in optical-component breadth and SWIR/IR coverage, though stronger in catalog/retail and weaker in space-grade systems.
- Edmund Optics: Global optics supplier with extensive catalog of lenses, filters, and optical assemblies, including SWIR and machine-vision optics. Comparable SWIR/IR lens offering to Optec's catalog line, though with a more standardized retail-and-OEM model.
- Sill Optics: German manufacturer of precision lenses and optical systems for laser material processing, machine vision, and scientific applications. Closely comparable product line to Optec's laser optics and industrial SWIR/V-SWIR lens catalog.
- Excelitas Technologies (Qioptiq): North American/European photonics and optoelectronics manufacturer offering custom lens assemblies, IR optics, and defense/aerospace optical modules. Direct overlap with Optec's SWIR/LWIR lens catalog and space/defense payload work.
- Officina Stellare: Italian precision optics manufacturer specializing in space telescopes, Earth-observation payloads, and laser communication optics. Direct competitor for ESA/ASI mission payloads and the most geographically and segment-overlapping peer in Optec's core space-optics business.
Broad incumbents
- Hensoldt: European defense electronics house with significant optics, sensor, and surveillance systems business. Broader incumbent in defense optical systems, overlapping with Optec's defense and ISR optics portfolio.
- Teledyne FLIR: Large imaging and sensor company offering thermal cameras, SWIR/LWIR modules, and integrated defense optical systems. Broad incumbent overlapping Optec's LWIR lens and defense optics business.
- Jenoptik: German optical systems group with deep exposure to semiconductor equipment, industrial metrology, and defense optics. Larger incumbent offering overlapping precision lens and laser-optics capabilities across multiple Optec segments.
Emerging players
- TOPTICA Photonics: Specialized laser and photonics manufacturer with laser optics, frequency-conversion modules, and scientific instrumentation. Partial overlap with Optec's laser optics and consulting/test capabilities, primarily in scientific and quantum-application adjacencies.
Others
- Carl Zeiss (ZEISS Industrial Quality & Research): Global optics leader with industrial, semiconductor, and defense optics divisions. Competes with Optec on high-precision lens assemblies and metrology optics, though with a much broader catalog and substantially larger R&D budget.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Optec social profiles
Digital presenceOptec compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Optec financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Optec leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Optec funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Optec 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 Optec
What does Optec do?
Optec designs, develops, manufactures, integrates, and tests custom optical and optoelectronic systems across four core product lines: IR lenses (SWIR, V-SWIR, LWIR), space optical payloads and instruments, multichannel prism cameras (3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-channel), and industrial laser optical systems for welding, cutting, cladding, and wobbling. The company operates three plants in Lombardy (Parabiago and Busto Garolfo) plus a US subsidiary (Optec America in Chatsworth, CA), delivering customized solutions for aerospace, defense, biomedical, industrial automation, and scientific research applications.
Is Optec a public or private company?
Optec is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Optec founded?
Optec was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Optec based?
Optec is headquartered in Parabiago, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Optec make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Optical Systems Sales are the primary driver. The others are consulting and R&D Services and multichannel Camera Systems.
Who are Optec's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Thorlabs, Edmund Optics, Sill Optics, Excelitas Technologies (Qioptiq) and Officina Stellare. Broad incumbents are Hensoldt, Teledyne FLIR and Jenoptik. TOPTICA Photonics is listed as an emerging player. Carl Zeiss (ZEISS Industrial Quality & Research) is listed as an others.
Does Optec have an API?
No public API is recorded for Optec.
What industry is Optec in?
Optec's product category is Precision Optical and Optoelectronic Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAM, Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules), with a secondary code of HDAHALAL, Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL). Its NAICS code is 339115 and its SIC code is 3827.