Starpoint Adaptive Optics

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Background

Starpoint Adaptive Optics is built on expertise from the UK's leading astronomical adaptive optics research group. The University of Durham's Astronomical Instrumentation Group developed a series of adaptive optics instruments for the UK's telescopes in the Canary Islands. These efforts culminated in the ELECTRA instrument and its common-user descendant NAOMI. Read more about ELECTRA here.

Meanwhile, far cheaper adaptive optics technologies were emerging – a clean break with traditional "big science" AO – and many optical systems companies were trying to get hold of adaptive optics capabilities, as solution-level subsystems.

The technology was moving out of its "big science" niche: most of the future opportunities would be commercial, not academic.

Durham University researcher Andrew Zadrozny took a look at the prospects for a new venture aimed at these emerging markets. He was awarded a Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowship in recognition of the idea's potential, and set about getting Starpoint off the ground.

He drew on the extensive new venture spin-out assistance available; funding from PPARC for the Fellowship; business training from Caledonian Business School with a Master's degree in "New Venture Creation"; further expert advice on business planning through the Joint Research Councils' Business Plan Competition; and assignment of IPR to key technologies from the University of Durham. Now Starpoint's up and running. Read the latest news here; read about the products; and get in touch.


© 2002 Starpoint Adaptive Optics Limited