At Confocal NL, our mission is to improve the microscopy experience of researchers. We help researchers accelerate their discoveries by offering them confocal imaging solutions that respect their specimens and minimize phototoxicity. Confocal NL caters to the needs of scientists and microscopists, by developing solutions that are not yet available in the world of microscopy. We are a fast-growing and dynamic international company. We create innovative and clever design technologies for you, built to be the most user-friendly solution out there, continuously challenging the microscopy market.
About Confocal NL
Looking beyond what’s known to innovate and find the best solutions for our customers.
Our mission & vision
Our core values
Curious
We look beyond what’s known to innovate and find the best solutions.
Proactive
We are in constant movement to strive for the best solutions for our customers.
Cooperative
Each team member has an added value, and together, we strive for the best experience for our users.
Customer focused
We ensure that customers have a pleasant experience with us and our solutions.
The inventors
Confocal NL was founded in 2016, by Erik Manders and Peter Drent. The concept of RCM was born three years earlier from a PhD project at the University of Amsterdam, financed by Dutch Research Council NWO through their STW Perspectief.
Erik and his team of optics researchers with Giulia de Luca as lead researcher developed the innovative and disruptive REscan confocal technique. The concept and outcomes were published in 2013 (De Luca et al., 2013).
The technology
REscan Confocal Microscopy (RCM) is a super resolution technique based on a standard confocal extended with an optical re-scanning unit that projects the image directly on a CCD or sCMOS camera (Luca et al., 2013).
By using a sensitive camera as a detector, the quantum efficiency (QE) of RCM increases up to 95% in the visible range of light (VIS) and 67% in near-infrared (NIR) light. Traditional point scanning confocal systems use Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) as a detector. The sensitivity of a PMT is maximum 45%. RCM strongly increases sensitivity while maintaining the confocal sectioning capability. The REscan technology allows the development of images with a 40% increase in resolution, without closing the pinhole. Therefore, more photons are captured, and the signal-to-noise ratio is four times higher in RCM than in standard PMT-based confocal microscopes. This results in 170 nm resolution images with an extremely high signal-to-noise ratio. Combining RCM with deconvolution, the resolution is further improved to 120 nm.
Investors & Supporters
In 2016, with the support from UvA Ventures & Holding, Confocal NL was founded to commercialize RCM. Hereafter, microscopy facilities worldwide started incorporating our technology, which stimulated the further growth of Confocal NL.
A second milestone for Confocal NL was facilitated by Value Creation Capital (VCC) in 2018. Their investment made it possible to expand our team and pursue further product and technology development.
The growing position of Confocal NL in biology science, made ECFG Venture Capital join, investing in scaling the company for global growth and further technology development.
Currently, UvA Ventures, VCC, ROM InWest and ECFG are the main investors.
Testimonials
Satisfied researchers
around the globe
Team
Meet our team
Our partners globally
We have partnered with key distributors to promote our disruptive technology globally and to help researchers.
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