Italian venture capital firm Principia SGR bought a $7 million stake in optical and electro-optical technology developer CrestOptics spa. CrestOptics is active in the design, production, distribution, and integration of high-resolution optical and electro-optical equipment for industrial, scientific, and diagnostic purposes. The results of continuous R&D activities carried out in collaboration with the Joint Laboratory at the Italian Institute of Technology have lead to significant progress in the use of electro-optical technology as well as in diagnostics, in particular with applications for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative and tumor diseases. Since the sale, CrestOptics aims to develop current advanced microscopy products and finance new R&D activities in the early diagnosis stages of the most important neurodegenerative and tumoral pathologies.