BU Photonics Center Teams With French Optics Group

BOSTON, Feb. 9 -- A joint initiative between The Boston University (BU) Photonics Center and France's Opticsvalley, a consortium of optics and photonics companies, will foster the establishment of French start-up optics and photonics companies in the US.

"Our business accelerator model has experienced remarkable success in the midst of a terrible economic climate," said Donald Fraser, Photonics Center director. "The international community, especially France, has taken note of this success. We look forward to sharing our company development and commercialization expertise with Opticsvalley and the French government, as well as to working with them to establish French businesses here in the US."

Fraser said since it began in 1997, the center has participated in the launch of 17 technology-commercialization companies, which together have raised nearly $200 million from outside private-equity sources.

The Photonics Center provides an entrepreneurial environment for emerging photonics technology companies, through a joint program with Beacon Photonics, a venture capital development company formed by BU, the Photonics Center and the investment firm GlobalVest Management.

For more information, visit: www.thephotonicscenter.com