Based in Carlsbad, TAU Labs will be available for commercial customers as well as public institutions, with first applications focusing on radiation testing for space electronics and other environments, plus other applications using ultrahigh power laser, electron, or x-ray beams.
TAU said its technology offers ‘unprecedented access’ to ultrafast, high-energy particle beams in a compact form, offering ‘transformative potential’ for applications across advanced imaging, materials science, and high-energy physics.
“This investment is a major step forward for TAU and for advancing the future of radiation testing for space applications,” Bjorn Manuel Hegelich, CEO and Founder of TAU Systems said in a statement. “With the launch of TAU Labs in Carlsbad, California, our first private laser accelerator centre, we can now offer Beamtime-as-a-Service specifically tailored for space radiation testing, as well as x-ray imaging, metrology, and medical research.
"Our laser-driven accelerator technology enables precise, repeatable, and customisable radiation environments that help aerospace companies, satellite developers, and defence agencies and space centres, such as DARPA and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to validate and harden their systems. We’re excited to provide the space industry with faster, more flexible access to the radiation testing capabilities they need, without the wait times of traditional facilities.”
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The latest funding round was led by Quantonation, with participation from original seed investor, Team Global. Other participating parties include Alumni Ventures, Impact Ventures, UT Seed Fund and a group of private investors.
“TAU is a fantastic example of what we look for in physics tech,” said William Zeng, partner at Quantonation. “The team has deep scientific know-how that builds for customers today in space radiation, and can grow to solve civilization level challenges in next generation semiconductor manufacturing,”
TAU Systems said its technology builds on decades of research in laser-plasma physics and leverages recent breakthroughs in ultrafast lasers and AI-based control systems. The company’s goal is to create a commercially viable, compact, and cost-effective accelerator capable of delivering beams that previously required massive, billion-dollar infrastructure.
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