News: Optoelectronics
30 July 2026
Vexlum establishes London lab and appoints Stefan Truppe as managing director of Vexlum UK
Finland-based laser developer and manufacturer Vexlum — which was spun off from Tampere University of Technology’s Optoelectronics Research Centre in 2017 and develops and manufactures high-power semiconductor vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) technology systems — has announced the appointment of Dr Stefan Truppe as managing director of Vexlum UK, and the establishment of a dedicated laboratory in London, positioning the firm at the center of the UK’s rapidly growing quantum ecosystem.
The expansion follows a significant surge in local demand for Vexlum’s VXL laser system. As a compact, 2-liter laser engine that replaces traditional large laboratory instrumentation, the firm’s 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 localized 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 optimize systems for UK customers, while supporting ongoing product development.
The new UK operation combines commercial activities with local R&D 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,” comments Vexlum’s CEO & co-founder Jussi-Pekka Penttinen. “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,” he adds. “Stefan’s appointment gives us exceptional scientific leadership and strengthens our ability to build long-term partnerships across the UK quantum ecosystem.”
Truppe 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. A pioneer in the use of deep ultraviolet (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.
“Vexlum’s Finland-based in-house manufacturing — from III-V semiconductor fabrication to final laser assembly — gives us unmatched quality control,” says 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 originates from a collaboration between semiconductor experts at Tampere University and the quantum research group of Nobel laureate David Wineland at the USA’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This foundation has allowed Vexlum to diversify its VECSEL portfolio into high-growth sectors beyond quantum computing, including semiconductor metrology and space communications.
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