Bruker enters microscopy market.

Karlsruhe and Herzogenrath, Germany 8/18/08--Bruker AXS GmbH has agreed to acquire S.I.S. Surface Imaging Systems GmbH, a manufacturer and distributor of atomic force/scanning probe microscopy (AFM/SPM) systems with $3 million in annual revenues. Additional financial details were not provided. Following the acquisition, S.I.S. will be renamed Bruker Nano GmbH and will remain at its location in Herzogenrath, Germany. Drs. Frank Saurenbach and Hans-Achim Fuss, who founded the business in 1993, will remain with the company as managing directors. "Many of the AFM/SPM market segments and applications overlap with those of our X-ray diffraction (XRD) business, making the S.I.S. products an excellent addition for our established worldwide XRD sales force. This clear marketing and distribution synergy is expected to be a major driver for the growth of our new Bruker AFM/SPM product line," said Bruker AXS Executive Vice President Dr. Frank Burgaezy. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter.

S.I.S.'s products include benchtop AFM and AFM/optical microscopes, floor-standing AFM/optical microscopes and compact AFM/SPM systems for integration into other instruments. Bruker AXS estimates the 2007 SPM market to be $200-$300 million. The acquisition marks Bruker's entry into the AFM market, which includes dedicated suppliers, such as Veeco, and Bruker's competitors in other markets, including Agilent. The market overlaps with many of Bruker AXS's current customers, including materials analysis, nanotech and life science researchers.