Coher Sense made quite an impression at Laser World of Photonics 2025 in Munich, culminating in the company winning the prestigious Hamamatsu Photonics Innovation Award. For founder and CEO Oliver Lischtschenko, it marked a significant milestone in what has been a carefully orchestrated three-year journey from concept to market-ready product: a novel laser measurement device designed to simplify complex optical diagnostics.
"It's been a wild ride this year," says Lischtschenko, reflecting on the company's showcase at the event. "When you start developing hardware, it's not taken for granted that three years later, you can actually see the market. So we're very happy that we made it."
The company's booth generated considerable interest throughout the show, with Monday's setup day already attracting visitors from their network. "Our initial plan was to generate some early buzz on Tuesday by welcoming visitors with champagne at three o'clock. However, the unexpected size of yesterday's lunch crowd made us question whether the champagne was necessary, given the natural interest." Lischtschenko notes with a laugh.
The multimeter analogy that stuck
What makes Coher Sense's approach particularly compelling is how they've positioned their technology. The phrase – "the multimeter for lasers" – wasn't actually coined by the team themselves, but emerged organically from customer feedback during early development phases. Coher Sense's device offers real-time, comprehensive feedback on critical laser parameters, such as wavelength, coherence, and power stability, addressing the need for more accessible and versatile laser diagnostic tools.
"That's actually not something we made up," explains Lischtschenko. "It was the very first thing one of our lead partners said when we were introducing the minimum viable product to them. He said, 'Wait, if I get you guys correctly, you guys are building nothing less, nothing more than a multimeter for lasers' and like that conjures the right image in mind."
This analogy resonates within the photonics community because it captures both the utility and accessibility that Coher Sense aims to bring to laser measurement. "All of us in photonics have worked with a multimeter at some point for electronics, and we all know how useful it can be," says Lischtschenko. "I think without the multimeter, electronics would not have gone to where it was or where it is today. It's been liberalising or democratising, and that's really what it's done – it's made it accessible for people."
From Covid-era concept to commercial reality
Coher Sense's journey began during an unusual period for many businesses. "We started in April 2022, it actually started as an idea a bit before, and was a child of covid," reveals Lischtschenko. "It really began shaping at the end of 2021 and we founded the company in 2022."
Rather than rushing to market, the team took a measured approach, working closely with a select group of early adopters. "We said, we're going to take our time to first get something out there that a selected number of people can work with us, and we spent time doing so. We collaborated with a handful of people, universities, industrial customers, instrument makers. We really have a good overview of the market and worked with them very closely for two years. Get their feedback, capture wishes, dreams, what they would hope the product to be."
This collaborative development process has been fundamental to shaping the final product offering. "We always said there's one milestone we want to have, and we want to make a splash at Laser 2025," notes Lischtschenko. The Hamamatsu Photonics Innovation Award suggests they've achieved exactly that.
Scaling for global impact
Following its successful show debut, Coher Sense faces the challenge of scaling from a small, technology-focused team to a global operation capable of serving international markets. "For the past years, with a focused team and product prototypes, our market reach has been deliberately limited. So, getting this going is the next important step of the company," explains Lischtschenko.
The company has already begun establishing relationships beyond Germany, with systems sold to Switzerland and ongoing work with Finnish and Lithuanian customers. "We're going to do that through the help of local agents, potentially to Japan or ultimately to the US and other countries. We've spoken to people from Canada, from India," says Lischtschenko.
This expansion strategy aligns with the founder's philosophy of partnership. "I'm also a big fan of working with local people, because I truly believe in close partnerships, local partnerships and local networks. I think it's absolutely important."
Future development and market democratisation
Looking ahead, Coher Sense has secured additional funding for product development, enabling the firm to broaden its technology platform. "We just, on Monday, secured funding for further development of our product," reveals Lischtschenko. "It's going to be a spin out of the same technology, but with different detectors. So we really want to broaden the footprint."
The company's broader vision extends beyond just creating another measurement instrument. It sees itself as an enabler for other industries, particularly emerging fields such as quantum technology. "Quantum is so expensive that it's going to hit a limitation in commercialisation sooner rather than later, and if we can help bring the cost of quantum down, it's not only good business for us, but it's also enabling the success and the business of our customers," explains Lischtschenko.
This collaborative approach is central to Coher Sense's identity. "We want to help our partners build better systems, take better systems to market to really enable their success," says Lischtschenko. "We really embrace that collaborative spirit, and we just look forward to working with people."
With the Hamamatsu Photonics Innovation Award providing both recognition and practical support for their development goals, Coher Sense appears well-positioned to make their multimeter vision a reality across the photonics industry.
