Crystal
Crystal GmbH is a Berlin-based, founder-owned specialty manufacturer of precision crystalline substrates, wafers, optical components, and laser crystals, serving industrial OEMs and research institutions globally with ex-works direct sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Crystal does
Crystal GmbH is a privately held Berlin-based specialty manufacturer founded in 1993 that produces precision crystalline substrates, wafers, optical components, and laser crystals from brittle-hard materials including crystals, glasses, and ceramics. Its product portfolio spans five lines: substrates/wafers for thin-film deposition (orientation accuracy to ±0.1°, flatness λ/10, roughness below 0.5 nm), optical components (windows, prisms, lenses, mirrors) for IR/VIS/UV spectral ranges, laser components (YAG and YVO4 crystals with neodymium, ytterbium, erbium, and chromium dopants plus diffusion-bonded composites), contract crystal processing of customer-supplied materials, and optoelectronic/optomechanical module assembly. Manufacturing, measurement, and quality control are concentrated at the single Ostendstraße site in Berlin under an ISO 9001:2015 QMS audited annually by DQS for over 20 years.
The business operates a direct sales model with dedicated contacts per product line, ex-works pricing quoted on request, tiered shipping logistics to Germany/EU/RoW, and a discount Stock Sale channel for non-standard sized items. Two primary customer segments are addressed horizontally: industrial customers (prototype through series production, OEM optics, KANBAN supply) and research institutions (R&D projects, small-quantity orders, CMP polishes, custom composites). Revenue is generated through one-time product sales and professional services contracts; prices are not publicly disclosed. Founder and Managing Director Andreas Wenzel has led the company since inception, with a long-tenured technical team including dedicated optics, substrates, and quality-control specialists.
The firm competes on proprietary process know-how accumulated over three decades, in-house diffusion-bonding capability, advanced metrology, and qualification-grade tolerances rather than on scale or pricing aggression. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, patents, or public revenue disclosures are documented. Customer concentration, end-market sizing, and growth momentum cannot be independently verified from the available material.
Crystal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Crystal
- Legal name
- CRYSTAL GmbH
- Website
- https://crystal-gmbh.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Crystal GmbH is a Berlin-based, founder-owned specialty manufacturer of precision crystalline substrates, wafers, optical components, and laser crystals, serving industrial OEMs and research institutions globally with ex-works direct sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Crystal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Crystal and Optical Components Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Thin-Film Deposition Materials (PVD/CVD/ALD Targets & Precursors) (HDAHAGAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs) (HDAHAAAH)
Keywords
Where Crystal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Crystal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Crystalline Substrates and Wafers: Sale of precision-oriented single crystal substrates for thin film deposition, available in standard sizes and custom configurations. Revenue generated from product sales to research and industrial customers.
- Optical Components: Manufacturing and sale of optical components including windows, prisms, lenses, and mirrors made from crystalline materials for infrared, visible, and ultraviolet spectral ranges.
- Laser Components and Crystals: Production and sale of laser rods and laser-active materials including YAG:Nd, YAG:Cr laser rods, and diffusion bonded crystals for various wavelengths.
- Optoelectronic and Optomechanical Assembly: Assembly services for optoelectronic and optomechanical modules according to customer requirements, from procurement to quality control.
- Crystal Processing Services: Processing of customer-provided materials including technical crystals, optical materials, or minerals. Services include special shaping, crystallographic orientation, grinding, and polishing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Product Pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Stock Sale (Internet Sale) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Research Quantity Discounts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Crystal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CRYSTAL GmbH manufactures and supplies precision crystalline substrates/wafers, optical components (windows, prisms, lenses, mirrors), laser crystals (YAG, YVO4 with various dopants), and diffusion-bonded crystal composites for thin film deposition, sensor technology, equipment manufacturing, and laser technology applications. The company also processes customer-supplied crystalline, optical, and mineral materials, and assembles optoelectronic and optomechanical modules from prototype to series production.
Product overview
Crystal GmbH is a specialized manufacturer of crystalline substrates, wafers, and optical components based in Berlin, Germany. The product portfolio centers on five core offerings: Substrates/Wafers for thin film applications, Optical Components (including Windows, Prisms, Lenses, and Mirrors), Laser Components (YAG and YVO4 crystals with various dopants, plus diffusion bonded composites), Crystal Processing services for customer-provided materials, and Assembly/Modules for optoelectronic and optomechanical systems. The company also operates a Stock Sale channel offering immediate availability of non-standard sized items at reduced prices. Products serve both research institutions and industrial customers across thin film layer technology, sensor technology, equipment manufacturing, and laser technology sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Substrates / Wafers
Quantifiable outcome
- Orientation accuracy: ± 0.5°, typical < 0.3°
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Crystal
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Crystal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Crystal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Crystal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Optogama: Optogama manufactures laser optics, nonlinear and laser crystals, and custom optical components for photonics and laser applications. It is a closely comparable niche supplier to Crystal, particularly in laser crystals and optical components.
- Thorlabs: Thorlabs is a major manufacturer and distributor of photonics components including optical substrates, crystals, lenses, prisms, and laser optics. It directly competes with Crystal in supplying precision optical components and crystalline materials to research and OEM customers globally.
- EKSMA Optics: EKSMA Optics manufactures laser optics, nonlinear crystals, and optical components including windows, prisms, and mirrors. It is a direct comparable to Crystal in supplying precision crystalline optics and laser crystals to research and industrial laser customers.
- Altechna: Altechna specializes in laser optics, nonlinear crystals, and custom crystal components for scientific and industrial laser applications. Like Crystal, it serves photonics OEMs with precision components and custom crystal processing.
- Castech (Fujian Castech Crystals): Castech is a leading Chinese manufacturer of nonlinear optical crystals, laser crystals (including YAG and YVO4), and crystal substrates. It directly competes with Crystal in laser crystals and precision crystalline substrates for the global photonics market.
Broad incumbents
- Edmund Optics: Edmund Optics is a large, broad-line optics supplier with a wide portfolio of windows, lenses, prisms, mirrors, and crystal-based optical components. It overlaps with Crystal's optical components offering across multiple spectral ranges and customer segments but operates at significantly larger scale.
- Coherent Corp: Coherent (formerly II-VI) is a global photonics and materials manufacturer producing laser crystals, substrates, and optical components. It serves overlapping end-markets to Crystal in solid-state laser materials and thin-film deposition substrates, though with vastly greater scale and vertical integration.
- CVI Laser Optics (IDEX Optics): CVI Laser Optics, now part of IDEX Optics, manufactures high-precision laser optics including windows, mirrors, lenses, and crystal-based components. It overlaps with Crystal's laser optics and crystalline component offerings, though at substantially larger scale.
- MKS Instruments (Photonics Solutions): MKS Instruments, through its photonics portfolio (formerly Newport/MKS Spectra-Physics), supplies optical components, laser crystals, and precision substrates for advanced photonics and semiconductor applications. It is a broader incumbent serving the same end-markets as Crystal.
Emerging players
- Knight Optical: Knight Optical is a UK-based custom optics supplier offering windows, lenses, prisms, and mirrors in a range of substrate materials including crystals. It is an emerging custom optics peer to Crystal serving research and industrial customers with similar small-batch, custom-configured offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Crystal social profiles
Digital presenceCrystal compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Crystal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Crystal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Crystal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Crystal 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 Crystal
What does Crystal do?
CRYSTAL GmbH manufactures and supplies precision crystalline substrates/wafers, optical components (windows, prisms, lenses, mirrors), laser crystals (YAG, YVO4 with various dopants), and diffusion-bonded crystal composites for thin film deposition, sensor technology, equipment manufacturing, and laser technology applications. The company also processes customer-supplied crystalline, optical, and mineral materials, and assembles optoelectronic and optomechanical modules from prototype to series production.
Is Crystal a public or private company?
Crystal is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Crystal founded?
Crystal was founded in 1993. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Crystal based?
Crystal is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Crystal make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Crystalline Substrates and Wafers are the primary driver. The others are optical Components, laser Components and Crystals, optoelectronic and Optomechanical Assembly and crystal Processing Services.
Who are Crystal's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Optogama, Thorlabs, EKSMA Optics, Altechna and Castech (Fujian Castech Crystals). Broad incumbents are Edmund Optics, Coherent Corp, CVI Laser Optics (IDEX Optics) and MKS Instruments (Photonics Solutions). Knight Optical is listed as an emerging player.
Does Crystal have an API?
No public API is recorded for Crystal.
What industry is Crystal in?
Crystal's product category is Precision Crystal and Optical Components Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAGAH, Thin-Film Deposition Materials (PVD/CVD/ALD Targets & Precursors), with a secondary code of HDAHAAAH, Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs). Its NAICS code is 33441 and its SIC code is 3827.