Company Profile

With a vast knowledge in the fast growing fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology, Nanosurf's main focus is on the research and development of easy-to-use scanning probe microscopes (AFM & STM) and their accessories.

Nanosurf was founded as Nanosurf AG on June 4, 1997, in Liestal, Switzerland, by Lukas Howald, Dominik Braendlin and Robert Sum. The company started as a spin-off of the University of Basel, one of the most renowned SPM centers of competence in the world. Its activities concentrate mostly on research, development, assembly, and marketing of its products, while the production of most series parts (instrument mechanics & electronics) is subcontracted to companies in the greater Basel area.

Before establishing Nanosurf AG, all of the founders worked at the University of Basel in the research group of Prof. H.-J. Guentherodt, one of the opinion leaders in scanning probe microscopy. Since then, Nanosurf AG has developed from that small 3-man team to a multi-skilled team of professionals in Switzerland and the US. The product range has grown to match this development. New products are continuously being assessed and developed in close collaboration with distinguished universities and polytechnics. This collaboration not only ensures that Nanosurf has access to the latest developments in nanotechnology, but also that Nanosurf is in fact actively involved in their creation.