What Clark-MXR, Inc. does

Clark-MXR, Inc. is a Dexter, Michigan-based, 100% employee-owned designer and manufacturer of femtosecond (ultrafast) laser systems and a provider of contract femtosecond laser micromachining and inspection services. The company sells Ti:Sapphire regenerative amplifiers (CPA-Series) and Yb-doped fiber oscillator/amplifier systems (IMPULSE, IMPULSE-HE, PhaseShifter, Solas), complemented by add-on modules (NOPA, iNOPA, STORC harmonic generators), integrated complete systems (ShapeShifter spectrometer, cOPA microscopy source), and micromachining workstations (Solafab, SolaFab II, UMW-Series). All laser sources are designed and built in-house using chirped-pulse amplification and direct-diode pumping architectures under a universal control architecture with web-enabled remote monitoring.

The company serves five primary end markets: scientific research and academia (universities, national laboratories), medical device manufacturing, semiconductor and microelectronics, aerospace and defense, and industrial manufacturing — plus deep-tech startups as a secondary segment. Customer concentration is diversified across these verticals, with named customer relationships including elite research universities, national labs, global semiconductor equipment manufacturers, aerospace/defense contractors, and medical device OEMs. Clark-MXR operates on a direct enterprise field-sales motion with no e-commerce channel; prospects engage sales and application engineers via the company website, supported by industry conference participation (Laser World of Photonics, Microscopy & Microanalysis) and content marketing anchored by the founder-authored Ultrafast Laser Micromachining Handbook. Revenue is generated through one-time capital equipment sales, workstation sales, OEM custom laser solutions, and professional services (contract micromachining plus inspection). Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company traces its lineage to the 1987 introduction of the world's first commercial femtosecond laser and the 1992 release of the first commercial Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser; co-founder Prof. Gérard Mourou received the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for chirped-pulse amplification, the technique that names the CPA-Series.

Name

Clark-MXR, Inc.

Legal name

Clark-MXR, Inc.

Website

https://cmxr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clark-MXR, Inc. designs and manufactures femtosecond laser systems (Ti:Sapphire CPA-Series and Yb-doped fiber IMPULSE/Solas families) and provides contract femtosecond laser micromachining and inspection services for scientific research, medical device, semiconductor, aerospace, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ultrafast Laser Systems

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242), Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (33441)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL) (HDAHALAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mask/Reticle Manufacturing & Inspection Equipment (HDAHAEAK)

Keywords

• Femtosecond laser systems
• Laser micromachining services
• Ti:Sapphire amplifiers
• Fiber laser oscillators
• Precision micro-fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Dexter

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Femtosecond Laser Product Sales: Sale of laser systems including Ti:Sapphire (CPA-Series), fiber lasers (IMPULSE, IMPULSE-HE, PhaseShifter, Solas), add-ons (OPAs, harmonic generators), and complete systems (spectrometers, microscopy). Sold as turnkey, fully integrated units with pricing determined by product configuration and customization.
2. Micromachining Workstation Sales: Sale of micromachining workstations including Solafab, Solafab II, and UMW-Series. Workstations are sold as fully integrated systems combining laser source, motion control, vision system, and software. Custom configurations and SEMI-certified models available.
3. Contract Micromachining Services: Application development and contract manufacturing services ranging from custom one-off parts to high-volume production runs. Services include ultra-short pulse laser drilling, precision cutting, micromilling, surface modification, and full-service inspection and packaging including Class 100 cleanroom capabilities.
4. Inspection Services: Standalone inspection services utilizing scanning electron microscopes, 3D laser scanning microscopes, high-resolution optical microscopes, vision measurement systems, and coordinate measuring machines. Provided as part of micromachining contract services or independently.
5. Custom OEM Laser Solutions: Clark-MXR can tailor any femtosecond laser to specific needs and packaging requirements for OEM integrators and custom applications. Custom solutions are configured to buyer specifications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Clark-MXR designs and manufactures femtosecond (ultrafast) laser systems, including Ti:Sapphire regenerative amplifiers and Yb-doped fiber oscillator/amplifier platforms, as well as integrated micromachining workstations. The company also provides contract femtosecond laser micromachining and inspection services covering prototyping through high-volume production runs with Class 100 cleanroom packaging.

Product overview

Clark-MXR, Inc. offers a comprehensive portfolio of femtosecond laser systems and micromachining solutions. The core product lines include Ti:Sapphire lasers (CPA-Series) and Yb-doped fiber lasers (IMPULSE, IMPULSE-HE, PhaseShifter, Solas families), complemented by complete spectroscopy and microscopy systems (ShapeShifter spectrometer, Model cOPA). The ecosystem is extended through add-on modules including Optical Parametric Amplifiers (NOPA, iNOPA) and Harmonic Generators (STORC) for expanded wavelength coverage. Clark-MXR also provides integrated micromachining workstations (Solafab, SolaFab II, UMW) powered by their femtosecond laser technology, along with contract manufacturing services for precision laser micromachining of components. All systems share a unified control architecture enabling seamless integration and remote operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CPA-Series: Solid-state Ti:Sapphire femtosecond regenerative amplifiers for kHz repetition rates, designed for micromachining, spectroscopy, and advanced materials processing.
• IMPULSE
• IMPULSE-HE
• PhaseShifter
• Solas
• NOPA
• iNOPA
• STORC
• ShapeShifter
• cOPA
• Solafab
• Solafab II
• UMW

Products and services

• CPA-Series Solid-state Ti:Sapphire femtosecond regenerative amplifiers engineered for kHz repetition rates, designed for turnkey operation with No Tweak drift-free design eliminating manual realignment. Used for micromachining, spectroscopy, and advanced materials processing.
• IMPULSE All-diode-pumped, Yb-doped fiber oscillator/amplifier system delivering variable pulse energies up to 10 microJ at user-selectable repetition rates from 200 kHz to 25 MHz, with average power output of 20W at 2 MHz. Used for ultrafast spectroscopy, microscopy, and micromachining research.
• IMPULSE-HE High-energy next-generation Yb-doped fiber laser delivering variable pulse energies exceeding 40 microJ with user-adjustable repetition rates from single-shot to 25 MHz, suitable for demanding materials processing applications.
• PhaseShifter High-power ultrafast fiber laser with megahertz synchronization capabilities, featuring electronic control of both frequency and phase for precise synchronization with external equipment. Delivers greater than 20 watts average power at 2 MHz repetition rate.
• Solas OEM-ready femtosecond fiber laser family for multiphoton microscopy and micromachining, with Yb-doped fiber gain medium, customizable 1.025-1.035 micrometer wavelength range, repetition rates from 100 kHz to 25 MHz, and optional frequency conversion modules.
• NOPA White light continuum-seeded Optical Parametric Amplifier for CPA-Series amplifiers, delivering sub-15 fs pulse widths, up to 6 kHz repetition rates, broad wavelength tunability from 450 to 1600 nm, and greater than 8 microJ pulse energy.
• iNOPA Optical Parametric Amplifier for IMPULSE Yb-doped fiber oscillator/amplifier, delivering sub-20 fs pulse widths, 1-2 MHz repetition rates (up to 4 MHz), wavelength tunability from 480 to 1000 nm, and greater than 250 nJ pulse energy.
• STORC Harmonic Generator providing second, third, and fourth harmonic generation (SHG, THG, FHG) for CPA-Series, IMPULSE, and Solas lasers. Configurations available include 387nm SHG, 258nm THG, and 194nm FHG for CPA-Series.
• ShapeShifter Advanced pump-probe transient absorption spectrometer supporting ultrafast pulse widths down to 15 fs, broad pump and probe wavelength range from sub-200 nm to beyond 10 microns, and multi-beam operation for multiple NOPAs.
• Model cOPA Tunable ultrafast pulse source for microscopy and spectroscopy with three-beam configuration for MHz repetition rates, synchronized to less than 10 femtoseconds. Tunable wavelengths from 700-950 nm (signal) and 1130-1300 nm (idler).
• Solafab Desktop femtosecond laser micromachining workstation featuring compact design, 150x150 mm work area, Solas-Series laser source, multi-axis positioning, integrated on-axis vision system with autofocus and feature recognition. Handles materials up to 50 micrometers thick.
• SolaFab II Advanced femtosecond micromachining workstation with expanded work area (200x200 mm), Solas-II integrated laser, enhanced machining capabilities, supports materials up to 1 mm thick. Features advanced machining and vision technologies for 2.5D and 3D operations.
• UMW Flagship femtosecond laser micromachining workstation featuring up to 7 motion axes, configurable with CPA-Series or IMPULSE Family lasers, multi-axis CNC positioning, granite base on pneumatic vibration isolators, and customizable pulse control (1 to 64,000 pulses). Available in SEMI Certified variants.
• Micromachining Services Contract manufacturing services including precision hole drilling (sub-micron to millimeter scale), precision cutting (kerf widths as narrow as 1 micron), micromilling, and surface modification. Includes cleanroom inspection and Class 100 packaging capabilities. Ranges from one-off prototyping to high-volume production runs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 hours of successful micromachining performance demonstrated by CPA-Series lasers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Optronis GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark-MXR collaborated with Optronis GmbH (represented by Dr. Patrick Summ) to achieve the first demonstration of a Yb-doped femtosecond fiber oscillator running at 25 MHz successfully synchronized with Optronis's Optoscope SC10 Streak Camera with Synchroscan sweep unit. This collaboration opened a new research area enabling Yb-doped fiber oscillators to be synchronized with streak cameras at lower repetition rates.
• Horiba Scientific GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClark-MXR collaborated with Horiba Scientific GmbH (represented by Dr. Hans-Erik Swoboda) alongside Optronis GmbH to develop and demonstrate synchronization of Yb-doped femtosecond fiber oscillators with streak cameras, enabling direct fluorescence lifetime measurements with high temporal resolution.
• University of Pittsburgh – Prof. Hrvoje Petek Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Hrvoje Petek's group at the University of Pittsburgh used Clark-MXR's IMPULSE laser and iNOPA to study quantum coherence on metal surfaces using Interferometric Time-Resolved Multiphoton Photoemission (ITR-mPP). The research group also used IMPULSE + NOPA to investigate plasmonic coupling at metal/semiconductor interfaces for solar cell research and to study graphene hot electron dynamics, producing multiple peer-reviewed publications.
• King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) – Prof. Omar F. Mohammed Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Omar F. Mohammed's group at KAUST used Clark-MXR's IMPULSE laser for four-dimensional (4D) scanning ultrafast electron microscopy (S-UEM), mapping carrier dynamics on material surfaces with nanometer spatial and sub-picosecond temporal resolution. Multiple publications resulted from this collaboration.
• Northwestern University – Prof. Richard Van Duyne Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Richard Van Duyne's group at Northwestern University utilized Clark-MXR's IMPULSE laser at 1 MHz repetition rate for Surface Enhanced Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy (SE-FSRS), the first time SE-FSRS was performed at this repetition rate. The research established SE-FSRS as a robust tool for studying molecular dynamics.
• Prof. Tony Heinz GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Tony Heinz's research group (with affiliations including Columbia University) used Clark-MXR's Model IMPULSE laser for ultrafast transient absorption measurements studying exciton-exciton annihilation in monolayer MoS2 and giant bandgap renormalization in atomically thin WS2 layers, producing high-impact Nature Photonics publications.
• University of BerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers at the University of Bern used Clark-MXR's Model CPA-Series laser to carry out Laser Ablation/Ionization Mass Spectrometry in the search for extraterrestrial life. The study achieved high lateral (~15 μm) and vertical (~20–200 nm) resolution for chemical mapping of putative microfossils.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Light Conversion: Lithuanian manufacturer of ultrafast (femtosecond and picosecond) lasers, optical parametric amplifiers, and harmonic generators. Closely comparable to Clark-MXR across Ti:Sapphire and Yb-fiber ultrafast product lines serving scientific and industrial customers.
• Amplitude Laser Group: French ultrafast laser specialist offering Ti:Sapphire (Tangor, Satsuma) and Yb-fiber systems for scientific and industrial micromachining. Highly comparable in product mix, customer segments, and go-to-market to Clark-MXR.
• Menlo Systems: German manufacturer of femtosecond fiber lasers (Orange, BlueCut) and complete ultrafast spectroscopy systems. Direct competitor in fiber-based femtosecond sources and OEM-ready ultrafast platforms similar to Clark-MXR's Solas and IMPULSE families.
• NKT Photonics: Danish photonics company (now under Hamamatsu) producing supercontinuum, Yb-fiber, and ultrafast lasers including the aeroPULSE and ORIGAMI platforms. Comparable in fiber-laser architecture to Clark-MXR's IMPULSE and Solas families, with stronger commercial scale.
• Kapteyn-Murnane Laboratories (KMLabs): University-of-Colorado spinout manufacturing ultrafast Ti:Sapphire and Yb-fiber lasers for scientific research. A focused direct competitor with comparable product positioning to Clark-MXR's CPA-Series and IMPULSE platforms.
• Ekspla: Lithuanian ultrafast laser manufacturer producing Nd:YAG, Yb-fiber, and Ti:Sapphire systems plus OPA modules for scientific and industrial markets. Comparable to Clark-MXR in scientific-research focus and product breadth including add-ons like OPAs and harmonic generators.

Broad incumbents

• Coherent Corp: Global laser and photonics incumbent formed from II-VI's acquisition of Coherent. Sells Ti:Sapphire (Astrella, Vitara) and Yb-fiber ultrafast lasers that directly compete with Clark-MXR's CPA-Series and IMPULSE families, alongside a much broader materials-processing portfolio.
• Spectra-Physics (MKS Instruments): Established ultrafast laser brand within MKS Instruments offering Mai Tai, Solstice, and Spirit Ti:Sapphire and Yb-fiber systems. Directly comparable to Clark-MXR's scientific-research laser portfolio and competes in identical application segments.
• IPG Photonics: World's largest fiber laser manufacturer with broad industrial and emerging ultrafast Yb-fiber offerings. Adjacent rather than head-to-head in femtosecond scientific lasers, but a credible competitive threat as fiber-ultrafast industrial applications expand.

Emerging players

• Fluence Technology: Polish ultrafast fiber laser company focused on industrial and biomedical applications, including hollow-core fiber delivery. Comparable to Clark-MXR's IMPULSE/Solas fiber platforms and emerging OEM micromachining positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clark-mxr-inc.

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Clark-MXR, Inc.