Invisible-Light Labs Closes €1.5 Million Pre-Seed Round

Invisible-Light Labs, a TU Wien spin-off developing infrared analysis technology for nanoscale materials, led by Dr. Josiane P. Lafleur, MBA, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Silvan Schmid, Dr. Hajrudin Bešić, M.Sc., and Dr. Niklas Luhmann, M.Sc., has closed a €1.5 million pre-seed round co-led by XISTA Science Ventures and aws Gründungsfonds, with participation from Fund F. 

Accelerating Commercialization And Product Expansion.

The funding will support the global commercialization of the company's flagship product, EMILIE™, while also advancing the development of new solutions for environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical analysis, and nanotechnology applications.

By expanding its product portfolio and market reach, the company aims to bring its technology to a broader range of industries that require precise measurement, analysis, and monitoring capabilities.

Advancing Nanoscale Chemical Analysis.

Nanomaterials such as aerosols, nanoplastics, and nanopharmaceuticals are playing an increasingly important role in healthcare, environmental monitoring, consumer safety, and semiconductor manufacturing. However, conventional analytical techniques often struggle to quickly and accurately characterize these materials at the nanoscale.

Founded by Silvan Schmid, Josiane P. Lafleur, Niklas Luhmann, and Hajrudin Bešić, Invisible-Light Labs is developing highly sensitive analytical tools that combine nanoelectromechanical sensing with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.

The technology enables rapid chemical characterization of nanomaterials and extremely small sample quantities, with applications spanning pharmaceuticals, environmental monitoring, advanced materials, and semiconductor manufacturing.

From Research Breakthrough To Commercial Platform.

Invisible-Light Labs received a €2.22 million EIC Transition grant from the European Innovation Council in 2022 to commercialize its nanoelectromechanical sensing technology through the NEMILIES project.

The company launched its flagship system, EMILIE™, in 2024, where it was recognized as The Analytical Scientist's #1 Innovation of 2024. In 2025, Invisible-Light Labs entered a strategic partnership with Bruker Optics to expand global distribution of the co-branded EMILIE™ platform.

Further validation came in 2026 through two peer-reviewed studies.

Research published in ACS Nano demonstrated chemical identification of nanoplastics at the picogram scale, including particles released from a single nylon tea bag. A second study in Science Advances showed the platform could measure the chemical composition of submicrometer atmospheric aerosols with detection limits approximately 1,000 times lower than conventional techniques.

Expanding Access To Advanced Nanoscale Analysis.

Josiane P. Lafleur said EMILIE™ combines the sensitivity of nanomechanical sensing with the broad accessibility of infrared spectroscopy, enabling researchers to analyze nanomaterials and extremely small samples with unprecedented precision. The new funding will help bring the technology to a wider range of users, from drug developers working on nanoparticle-based therapeutics to atmospheric scientists studying remote environments.

Alexander Schwartz highlighted the team's ability to transform strong scientific research into a commercially viable product. He noted that the company's partnership with Bruker Optics demonstrates both the strength of the technology and the founders' execution, making Invisible-Light Labs well-positioned for its next phase of growth.