What Invisible-Light Labs does

Invisible-Light Labs GmbH is a privately held Austrian deep-tech company founded in 2019 as a spinoff of TU Wien's Institute of Sensors and Actuator Systems, headquartered in Vienna with a team of around 10 specialists in nanomechanics, analytical chemistry and physics. The company commercializes EMILIE, the first nanoelectromechanical Fourier-transform infrared (NEMS-FTIR) analyzer on the market, which combines the spectral range of a conventional FT-IR spectrometer with picogram-level sensitivity by detecting thermal expansion of samples on nanoelectromechanical resonators. EMILIE is sold as a hardware unit that clicks into existing FT-IR spectrometers (validated on Bruker's Invenio) and is paired with PHILL resonance-tracking electronics, disposable EMILIE sensing chips, and a growing family of sampling accessories including an aerosol flow adapter, a TSI Mini-MOUDI impactor adapter, and a multi-chip drop-casting accessory.

The platform is positioned against three primary use cases: characterization of sub-100 nm airborne aerosols and ultrafine particles, chemical fingerprinting of micro- and nanoplastics in air or water, and non-destructive analysis of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical samples (proteins, oligonucleotides, nanomedicines) available only in nanogram quantities. Revenue is generated through hardware sales (EMILIE analyzer, PHILL electronics, disposable chips, and accessories) and professional services for trial integration, all on a quote-based, multi-year contract pricing model with no public price list. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales, a website-led trial-and-evaluation funnel, scientific publication and conference presence (Analytica, EGU, IAC, SciX), and a co-marketing relationship with Bruker Optics that gives the company access to the installed FT-IR base without a large internal sales footprint. The company has been funded primarily through non-dilutive EU and Austrian grants (ERC PoC NIRD, EIC Transition NEMILIES, EIC Booster EMILIE, EIC WE-RISE, AWS preSEED, SEED, Green.IP), and in mid-2026 closed its first disclosed equity round of approximately $1.73M led by aws Gründungsfonds and XISTA Science Ventures.

Name

Invisible-Light Labs

Legal name

Invisible-Light Labs GmbH

Website

https://invisible-light-labs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Invisible-Light Labs GmbH commercializes EMILIE, the first commercial NEMS-FTIR analyzer, enabling picogram-sensitivity chemical fingerprinting for research and industrial labs working with aerosols, nanoplastics, and biopharmaceutical samples.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

NEMS-FTIR Analytical Spectroscopy Instruments

NAICS

Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Process Analytical Instrumentation (Gas analyzers, spectroscopy, pH/ORP, conductivity) (IMAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical & Light Sensors (Photodiodes/ALS/Color/UV) (HDAHALAE), Sensor Fusion, Interface ICs & Modules (AFE/Readout/Packaging/Calibration) (HDAHALAO), Industrial Quality Inspection & Metrology (Machine Vision) (IMAIAMAF)

Keywords

• Nanomechanical infrared spectroscopy
• FTIR spectroscopy instruments
• Nanosensor analytical instruments
• Airborne nanoparticle analysis
• Nanoplastics detection equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - EMILIE Analyser: Sale of the EMILIE nanoelectromechanical infrared analyser, the core product that integrates with customers' existing FTIR spectrometers to enable NEMS-FTIR analysis.
2. Hardware Sales - PHILL Electronics: Sale of PHILL resonance actuating and tracking electronics required to operate EMILIE and other NEMS/MEMS resonators.
3. Hardware Sales - EMILIE Chips and Accessories: Sale of disposable EMILIE chips, aerosol flow adapters, aerosol impactor adapters, and drop casting accessories for sample collection and analysis.
4. Professional Services - Trial and Integration Support: Expert support services to help customers integrate EMILIE into their workflows, including testing packages and evaluation services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Invisible-Light Labs develops and sells nanomechanical infrared analysis instruments based on its proprietary NEMS-FTIR (Nanoelectromechanical System Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) technology. Its flagship product EMILIE is the first commercial NEMS-FTIR analyser, offering picogram-level sensitivity for chemical fingerprinting of aerosols, micro- and nanoplastics, and pharmaceutical samples. The portfolio includes the EMILIE analyser, PHILL resonance tracking electronics, disposable EMILIE chips, and sampling accessories (aerosol flow adapter, aerosol impactor adapter, drop casting accessory).

Product overview

Invisible-Light Labs offers EMILIE, the first nanoelectromechanical system-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (NEMS-FTIR) analyser for chemical fingerprinting with picogram sensitivity. The product portfolio consists of the core EMILIE analyser paired with PHILL electronics for resonance tracking, supported by EMILIE CHIPS as the nanomechanical sensing element. Accessory products include the AEROSOL FLOW ADAPTER, AEROSOL IMPACTOR ADAPTER, and DROP CASTING ACCESSORY for various sampling methods. The system enables characterization of aerosols, micro- and nanoplastics, proteins, biopharmaceuticals, and other samples available in small quantities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EMILIE: The first nanoelectromechanical system-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (NEMS-FTIR) analyser for bulk chemical analysis of nanoparticles, thin film analysis, and chemical characterization of non-volatile and semi-volatile analytes.
• PHILL
• EMILIE CHIP
• AEROSOL FLOW ADAPTER
• AEROSOL IMPACTOR ADAPTER
• DROP CASTING ACCESSORY

Products and services

• EMILIE Nanoelectromechanical Infrared Analyser The first nanoelectromechanical system-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (NEMS-FTIR) analyser on the market, designed for bulk chemical analysis of nanoparticles, thin films, and non-volatile/semi-volatile analytes. Provides picogram-level detection sensitivity with a wide spectral range, integrates directly into existing FTIR spectrometers such as the Bruker Invenio, and operates under vacuum to eliminate water band interference. Targeted at environmental aerosol, micro/nanoplastics, and pharmaceutical research labs.
• PHILL Resonance Tracking Electronics

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000x more sensitive than PTFE filter-based transmission spectroscopy for nanoplastics analysis
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• TU Wien (Innovation and Incubation Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvisible-Light Labs is a spinoff of TU Wien. The company was founded in 2019 based on research from TU Wien's Institute of Sensors and Actuator Systems. Supported by TU Wien's Innovation and Incubation Center (I2C) for technology transfer.
• TU Wien Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder Silvan Schmid is a professor at TU Wien and head of the Research Unit of Micro- and Nanosensors. Ongoing collaborative research relationship for nanomechanical sensing technology development.
• Bruker OpticsmajorTechnology or IntegrationEMILIE is compatible with Bruker FT-IR spectrometers including the Invenio FT-IR spectrometer. The companies have collaborated on product integration and co-marketing, with Bruker featuring EMILIE on their website as a compatible accessory.
• Odoo S.A.minorOthersOdoo S.A. provides CRM software for customer relationship management. Customer data including contact details, order history, and business communication is managed in Odoo, operated from Belgium (EEA). Processed on basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of contract) and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Renishaw: Raman and complementary spectroscopy provider often paired with FTIR workflows; an adjacent competitor in chemical fingerprinting for pharma, materials, and life sciences labs that EMILIE targets.

Broad incumbents

• Shimadzu: Japanese FTIR and analytical instrument manufacturer (IRTracer, AIMsight) with global distribution; a potential EMILIE integration partner or competitive threat in the same lab instrumentation market.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Major FTIR/analytical instrument incumbent (Nicolet line) serving the same pharma, materials, and environmental labs as EMILIE; represents both a potential channel and a competitive threat if it bundles its own nanoscale IR accessory.
• PerkinElmer: Spectroscopy and analytical instrument incumbent (Spectrum FT-IR) competing in the same pharma QC, materials, and environmental testing workflows where EMILIE is positioned.
• Agilent Technologies: Provider of FTIR, Raman, and complementary molecular spectroscopy platforms (Cary) targeting pharma, life sciences, and materials labs overlapping with EMILIE's customer base.
• Bruker Optics: Manufacturer of the Invenio and other FT-IR spectrometers with which EMILIE integrates. Both a partner (compatibility/co-marketing) and the dominant incumbent in the FTIR market that ILL's accessory sits within.

Direct peers

• HORIBA Scientific: Manufacturer of Raman, FTIR, and photoluminescence spectrometers (LabRAM, iHR) targeting nanomaterials and life sciences labs overlapping with EMILIE's life sciences and nanoplastic use cases.
• Bruker Nano Surfaces (AFM-IR / NanoIR): Bruker division offering nanoscale IR spectroscopy (nanoIR) based on AFM-IR, the closest competing technology to NEMS-FTIR for sub-micron chemical characterization.
• Jasco: Specialist FTIR/UV-Vis/Raman spectrometer maker serving similar research and pharma QC customers; could either integrate EMILIE-style accessory or compete in picogram-class sensitivity spectroscopy.

Others

• TSI Incorporated: Manufacturer of aerosol instrumentation (including the Mini-MOUDI impactor for which EMILIE offers a dedicated adapter). Ecosystem participant enabling EMILIE's aerosol sampling workflow rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/invisible-light-labs-gmbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

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 Invisible-Light Labs