Litilit secures financing to build powerful modular femtosecond laser systems

Femtosecond laser manufacturer Litilit has received an €8 million loan from the Lithuanian National Development Bank ILTE for the development of a femtosecond laser modular system (Femoda) intended to speed up the adoption of advanced lasers and open the door for new applications. The total value of the project is €10 million, while the commercialisation of the new technology is planned for the second half of 2029.

Nikolajus Gavrilinas, CEO of Litilit, which recently broke ground on a large scale femtosecond laser facility in Vilnius, says that the new system will significantly expand the applications of femtosecond lasers.

‘Currently, femtosecond lasers are mostly used in manufacturing high value small parts. Our new laser system will open new applications in existing large scale industries, such as the mass production of metal tools and the formation of specialised coatings on large surfaces, like aircraft or car bodies. It will also speed up current femtosecond laser applications, from consumer electronics to displays and chips.’

Femtosecond lasers use extremely short pulses that process materials without damaging the surrounding structure. This quality, also known as cold ablation, makes them indispensable in applications ranging from eye surgery and vascular stents to manufacturing computer chips and display screens.

However, Nikolajus Gavrilinas notes that the adoption of femtosecond laser systems is often limited by their heavy infrastructure, installation, and maintenance requirements.

For example, most existing systems use water cooling, which requires a dedicated water circulation and cleaning system that needs regular upkeep. They also rely on large, heavy optical modules that must sit on massive optical bases, along with sensitive optics to deliver the beam to the process location. Current systems also need to be kept in a stable temperature environment.

‘All this adds complexity and limits where lasers can be used. We are building a system that combines the control electronics, optics, and cooling into a single industrial unit that can easily integrate into any factory,’ he explained. ‘Our new modular platform will be less sensitive to temperature, humidity, and vibration, and its modules can be combined into a more powerful system. If one fails, only that module needs replacing – not the whole system.’

Femoda will target an average optical power of up to 1000 W split across 10 to 20 separate beam channels, each capable of delivering femtosecond pulses to a different processing point on a production line. According to Nikolajus, it will be one of the most powerful modular industrial systems.

Litilit started developing the project in 2024, and this year received an €8 million loan from the Lithuanian development bank. The company plans to invest €2 million of its own capital, with a total project amount of €10 million.

Femoda will advance Litilit's goal of making femtosecond laser systems scalable. Currently, one of the biggest barriers to adoption is that there is no way to produce high power femtosecond laser systems at scale, as most traditional systems are complex to manufacture.

To address the scalability gap, in June the company started developing a new high capacity laser factory in Vilnius that will start operating this autumn, targeting 3000 femtosecond lasers a year.