Vexlum expands with London R&D lab
Vexlum, the Finnish developer of high-power Vertical-External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VECSEL) technology, has announced the appointment of Stefan Truppe as managing director of Vexlum UK.
Truppe (pictured above right) joins Vexlum from Imperial College London, where he will continue to serve as an associate professor in the Department of Physics, while also leading Vexlum UK’s strategic growth and industrial partnerships.
The appointment coincides with the establishment of a dedicated Vexlum laboratory in London, positioning the company at the centre of the UK’s rapidly growing quantum ecosystem and £2.5 billion National Quantum Strategy.
A pioneer in the use of deep UV)lasers for cooling gases of atoms and diatomic molecules to near absolute zero, Truppe’s expertise aligns with Vexlum’s mission to provide high-power laser engines at any wavelength.
The expansion follows a significant surge in local demand for Vexlum’s VXL laser system. As a compact, two-litre laser engine that replaces traditional large laboratory instrumentation, the Vexlum lasers have become a critical component for UK-based research into neutral-atom and trapped-ion quantum computing. By establishing a permanent presence in London, Vexlum will provide localised technical support and collaborative R&D capabilities to its expanding UK client base.
The laboratory will support laser development, testing, and technical validation for UK customers while providing a local base for collaborative research and product development with partners across the UK quantum ecosystem. The facility will house laser development and testing equipment to configure, validate, and optimise systems for UK customers, while supporting ongoing product development.
The new UK operation combines commercial activities with local research and development capabilities, enabling Vexlum to contribute more directly to the UK's emerging quantum technology supply chain. Rather than operating solely as a sales office, the company is establishing engineering and R&D capabilities alongside customer support and industrial collaboration.
"The UK has built one of the world's most dynamic quantum ecosystems," said Jussi-Pekka Penttinen (pictured above left), CEO and co-founder of Vexlum. "Following our recent funding round, we're investing in local engineering and R&D capabilities so we can better support our growing UK customer base while becoming an active contributor to the UK's quantum technology supply chain. Stefan's appointment gives us exceptional scientific leadership and strengthens our ability to build long-term partnerships across the UK quantum ecosystem."
“Vexlum’s Finland-based in-house manufacturing—from III-V semiconductor fabrication to final laser assembly—gives us unmatched quality control,” said Truppe. “My goal is to make Vexlum the definitive voice for VECSEL excellence in the UK. By integrating our compact VXL engines into the UK’s quantum and semiconductor supply chains, we’re helping partners overcome the laser bottlenecks that have long slowed ultracold matter experiments and quantum sensors.”
Vexlum’s technology carries Nobel heritage, originating from a collaboration between semiconductor experts at Tampere University and the quantum research group of Nobel laureate David Wineland at NIST. Vexlum says this foundation has allowed it to diversify its VECSEL portfolio into high-growth sectors beyond quantum computing, including semiconductor metrology and space communications.
