Nanomaterial Quality Control: iNSyT ONE Wins EIC Transition
LMU Munich and iNSyT solutions Secure EIC Transition Funding to Redefine Nanomaterial quality control for quantum dots
We sat down with the iNSyT solutions founding team to talk about the journey from LMU’s Nanoinstitute to the EIC Transition award, what makes single-particle quality control such a game-changer for the quantum-dot industry, and what the grant means for the company’s next chapter.
In this interview, the iNSyT founding team explains how iNSyT ONE is bringing single-particle analysis closer to industrial use and why EIC Transition funding is helping turn scientific research into a scalable deep-tech solution.
1. What sparked the idea for iNSyT ONE, and at what point did you realise that nanomaterial quality control was a market — not just a scientific — problem?
The original technology emerged from years of research at LMU Munich focused on understanding individual nanoparticles and their behaviour in real time. As the technology matured, we began speaking with researchers and companies working with advanced nanomaterials.
What became clear was that many critical decisions were still being made using measurements that average over millions or billions of particles.
That was the turning point. We realised the challenge was not only scientific. It was an industrial problem affecting product quality, manufacturing efficiency, and ultimately commercial success. We saw an opportunity to turn a powerful research tool into a practical solution for industry.
2. Today’s industrial QC relies on a mix of different techniques. Why have these well-established techniques been unable to close the gap, and what changes when you measure each particle individually?
These techniques have served the industry well. The challenge is that they were not designed to reveal how individual particles differ from one another.
For many nanomaterials, performance is determined by small populations of particles that behave differently from the average. When everything is reduced to a single number, that critical information is lost.
Measuring particles individually allows us to understand heterogeneity directly, identify outliers, and connect physical properties to performance in a way that is simply not possible with bulk measurements alone.
3. iNSyT ONE is a multimodal system in one compact instrument. At a high level, how do the two modalities work together — and what makes the integration so difficult?
The different modalities provide complementary information. They reveal not only the physical characteristics of a nanoparticle, but also how it performs chemically/optically. Together, they create a much more complete picture of material quality.
The challenge is that these measurements have very different technical requirements. Combining them in a single platform while maintaining sensitivity, speed, stability, and ease of use required years of development. Much of our effort has focused on making this complexity invisible to the user while preserving the scientific power of the measurement.
4. The platform builds on several years of work at LMU Munich, including ERC Starting and Proof-of-Concept grants. How has that scientific foundation shaped the company you’re building today?
The scientific work at LMU created both the technology and the mindset behind it. We learned how to tackle difficult problems, validate ideas rigorously, and think long term.
At the same time, building a company requires a different perspective. Our focus today is not only on scientific performance but also on reliability, usability, scalability, and customer value. The challenge is to preserve scientific excellence while creating products that solve real-world problems.
5. Quantum dots are a fast-growing market, with the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the EU’s tightening cadmium rules both raising the bar for quality control. How is iNSyT ONE positioned to benefit from these trends?
As quantum dots move into larger and more demanding markets, manufacturers face increasing pressure to deliver higher quality, greater consistency, and more sustainable materials. At the same time, new material systems are becoming more complex and harder to characterize using traditional methods.
We believe this creates a strong need for better quality-control tools. Our goal is to provide manufacturers with information that is both faster and more meaningful, helping them accelerate development cycles, improve yields, and maintain confidence as the industry evolves.
6. How will the €2.45M EIC Transition grant accelerate your path from TRL 4 to TRL 6, and what does the handover from LMU to the spin-off look like in practice?
The EIC Transition grant allows us to focus on the activities that are essential for commercialization but difficult to support through traditional research funding. This includes industrial pilots, system integration, product engineering, manufacturing readiness, and regulatory preparation.
The project begins under LMU’s leadership and gradually transitions to iNSyT solutions as the technology moves closer to market. We see this as an ideal model for transferring breakthrough research into a sustainable European deep-tech company.
7. Industrial pilots are a central piece of the project. What are you most hoping — and most nervous — to learn from these real-world deployments?
The pilots are where assumptions meet reality. We are excited to learn how customers use the system in their day-to-day workflows and where the technology creates the greatest value.
At the same time, pilots are always humbling. Customers often teach you things that cannot be learned in the laboratory.
We expect challenges, but those lessons are exactly what help transform a promising technology into a successful product.
8. Beyond quantum dots, you see potential in other fields such as catalysts, semiconductors, and biotech. How do you balance focus on the QD beach-head with the long-term cross-sector opportunity?
Focus is extremely important for any young company. Quantum dots provide a clear entry point because the market need is well defined and the value proposition is strong.
At the same time, we designed the underlying platform to be broadly applicable. Our strategy is to establish a strong position in quantum dots first and then expand into adjacent markets where the same core capability — high-throughput single-particle analysis — can solve equally important problems.
9. How did the collaboration with Evolution Europe contribute to shaping a successful EIC Transition application and your wider funding strategy?
Evolution Europe played an important role in helping us structure the project and communicate its impact clearly. Deep-tech teams often spend years focusing on technology development, and it can be challenging to step back and articulate the broader commercial and societal value.
Their experience helped us sharpen the story, strengthen the commercialization pathway, and build a proposal that connected scientific excellence with market opportunity.
10. What advice would you give to other deep-tech founders working at the boundary between a university research group and a future spin-off, especially when preparing an EIC application?
Talk to potential users much earlier than you think you should.
Many deep-tech founders spend years proving that a technology works before asking whether anyone needs it. In our experience, the most valuable insights often come from customers rather than the laboratory.
For EIC applications specifically, strong science is only the starting point. Reviewers also want to understand why the technology matters, who will benefit from it, and why your team is uniquely positioned to bring it to market. Those elements are just as important as the technical breakthrough itself.
