ATTO-TEC GmbH, Siegen, Germany

ATTO-TEC GmbH was founded in autumn 1999 as a spin-off of the University of Siegen. The decisive factor was the scientific experience of the four founders with organic laser and fluorescent dyes, some of which lasted decades. 

In particular, Prof. Drexhage's research team focused on the synthesis and development of long-wavelength fluorophores for the labeling of biomolecules in the 1990s, as fluorescence-based techniques were established as sensitive detection and analysis methods in the emerging field of life sciences. Thus, in the summer of 2000, the young company was able to present its own market-ready products as a manufacturer of fluorescent dyes for medicine, diagnostics and biology at ACHEMA in Frankfurt am Main.