Opsydia

About Opsydia

Opsydia is a laser technology firm that originated as a spin-out from the University of Oxford in September 2017. The company was founded by Professor Martin Booth and Professor Patrick Salter, based on their joint research in the Dynamic Optics and Photonics group within the university's Department of Engineering Science. Both founders are academics at Oxford with extensive backgrounds in optical and photonic engineering, adaptive optics, and laser fabrication. The management team is led by CEO Andrew Rimmer, who brought his experience from the electronics and early-stage technology sectors to commercialize the university's research. The company’s core business revolves around the sale of advanced laser systems that create microscopic, permanent identifiers beneath the surface of transparent materials, most notably diamonds. This technology utilizes ultrafast (femtosecond) lasers and proprietary adaptive optics to inscribe identifiers such as serial numbers or logos deep within a gemstone without altering its surface or clarity grade. This subsurface marking is a key differentiator, as it creates a tamper-proof physical link between a specific diamond and its associated records, such as grading reports or blockchain entries, thereby combatting fraud and enhancing traceability. One of its early and significant clients is De Beers, which uses Opsydia's technology to inscribe its Lightbox lab-grown diamonds. Opsydia's business model is B2B, providing its sophisticated laser systems—such as the P5000—to clients that include diamond miners, manufacturers, grading laboratories, and jewelers. The systems are designed for industrial use, featuring intuitive interfaces and machine learning for process optimization. Beyond the gemstone industry, Opsydia's technology has disruptive potential in other high-tech sectors. Applications are being developed for quantum computing, where the technology can create high-resolution nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in diamonds, and for advanced sensing devices. The firm is also exploring applications in photonics for high-density optical connectivity in data centers and semiconductors, addressing the increasing demand for bandwidth driven by AI.