CryLaS settles management succession:

Berlin, May 02, 2023 – Christian Riedel joined Crystal Laser Systems GmbH (CryLaS) in mid-April and took over as CEO on May 1. As planned, Dr. Helmut Spanner is leaving the management team of CryLaS at his own request but will remain associated with the company in retirement as an advisory board member and minority shareholder. Andreas Wenzel, who is also a long-standing member of the management board, will remain with the management team and will continue to be responsible for Finance, HR and IT.

CryLaS is a leading specialized supplier of deep UV lasers, which are primarily used in the semiconductor industry, biotechnology and analytics. Since 2021, the Company has been majority-owned by Silver Investment Partners (SIP), an independent equity investor in medium-sized companies. The entry of SIP as a long-term oriented partner was designed from the beginning to enable an orderly management succession and to support the Company’s further expansion and strong market position.

Philipp Amereller, Managing Partner at SIP: “Over the past almost 20 years, Dr. Spanner’s strategic vision and high level of entrepreneurial commitment has shaped the extremely successful development of CryLaS. We thank him for his achievements and the excellent cooperation. With Christian Riedel we have found an ambitious and internationally oriented successor. In his career to date, he has proven that he can successfully develop customer relationships and scale businesses. Together, we want to continue the success story of CryLaS and further accelerate growth.”

Christian Riedel, CEO of CryLaS, on his new role: “Dr. Spanner leaves some very big shoes to fill. Together with Mr. Wenzel, he has shaped the company for a long time and built the foundation for today’s position in the deep UV laser market. With their teams, the two have done pioneering technological work. For example, through the development of the FQCW series, which comprises lasers with high lifetime and energy efficiency for industrial continuous wave applications in the wavelength of 266 nanometers. We are operating in a fairly young but highly dynamic growth market. Therefore, I see my main task in expanding the existing expertise, enabling innovations and setting up the company for further, sustainable growth.”

Christian Riedel was most recently Senior Global Key Account Manager at Jenoptik Optical Systems, responsible for global key account business in the area of semiconductor equipment. Prior to this, he held various management and specialist positions with a focus on key account management, sales and product management within the Jenoptik Group and the ZEISS Group. He holds a degree in engineering (FH) in the field of photonics (laser technology).

Dr. Helmut Spanner looks back on more than 40 years of professional experience in the high-tech industry. His main focus was on memory technology, electronics, optics and lasers. In 2002, he joined CryLaS as CEO and shaped the company’s path towards becoming a leading provider of deep UV lasers.

CryLaS was founded in 2004 and is based in Berlin. The Company manufactures continuous wave Deep UV lasers for various high-tech industries, including in particular the semiconductor industry, biotechnology and analytics. CryLaS’ products include pulsed lasers and CW lasers, which are suitable for high-tech applications with their short wavelength, precise beam parameters and long lifetime. Over the years, CryLaS has developed several market niches and is now one of the leading suppliers in the field of laser systems for wafer inspection.

Silver Investment Partners is an independent equity finance investor for medium-sized companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As an entrepreneurial, experienced and trusted partner, Silver Investment Partners engages in majority and minority interests in companies with revenues between 5 and 100 million euros, with a focus on companies with revenues between 10 and 50 million euros. The classic investment scenarios include succession situations, changes in shareholders, spin-offs of companies and growth financing. The investment strategy focuses on companies in the sectors of business services, industrial and manufacturing, software, consumer and trade, healthcare/medical, environmental and related industrial technologies with attractive growth and value-added potential.

Read more here: www.silver-ip.com

Torben Beckmann
+49 176 219 784 79
tb@torbenbeckmann.com