Polychromix

About Polychromix

Polychromix, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts, developed and manufactured material analysis and chemical sensing products. The company's core technology was based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) originally developed with funding from DARPA at MIT, Sandia National Labs, and Honeywell. This technology enabled the creation of a new generation of portable and powerful analytical tools.

The company's flagship product was the PHAZIR, a handheld near-infrared (NIR) Digital Transform Spectrometer (DTS) analyzer. This all-in-one device integrated a spectrometer engine, light source, probe, batteries, and a computer with an LCD display, allowing for chemical analysis to be performed in the field. The PHAZIR and other Polychromix spectrometers were utilized across various industries, including pharmaceuticals, polymer recycling, agriculture, forensics, and security for applications such as raw material inspection, quality control, and counterfeit product identification.

The technology was distinguished by its use of a MEMS spatial light modulator in a portable design with no moving parts and low power consumption. Polychromix raised $19.2 million in funding from investors including Bain & Company, Cipio Partners, In-Q-Tel, Lighthouse Capital Partners, and Navigator Technology Ventures. On May 27, 2010, the company was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific and was integrated into its specialty diagnostics business.