ALPAO

Bertin Alpao designs and manufactures adaptive optics components and complete systems for research and industry. The company’s products, which include deformable mirrors, wavefront sensors, and software, are used to correct optical aberrations in real-time, enabling users to achieve high-resolution images. These products are based on patented technology featuring electromagnetic actuators that drive a continuous reflective surface, allowing for fast and precise wavefront correction. The company serves a global client base across more than 20 countries, with applications in astronomy, vision science, microscopy, laser physics, defense, and free-space optical communications.

Founded in 2008 in Montbonnot-Saint-Martin, near Grenoble, France, the company originated from research at the Université Joseph Fourier. It received innovation awards from the French Ministry of Research in 2006 and 2008. A significant development occurred in July 2024, when ALPAO was acquired by Bertin Technologies, a European industrial group specializing in high-end instrumentation. Following the acquisition, the company was renamed Bertin Alpao and integrated into Bertin's photonics division, strengthening its offerings in the space and astronomy sectors. Vincent Tempelaere serves as the CEO of Bertin Alpao.

Bertin Alpao's business model focuses on providing both standard and custom adaptive optics solutions. It offers a range of deformable mirrors with varying actuator counts and pupil diameters, as well as complete, user-friendly adaptive optics kits that include a deformable mirror, a wavefront sensor, and control software. The company’s revenue is generated through the sale of these components and systems to research institutions and industrial clients worldwide, with exports accounting for over 90% of its sales. In 2023, the company reported revenues of seven million euros.

Keywords: adaptive optics, deformable mirrors, wavefront sensors, high-resolution imaging, photonics, optical aberration correction, vision science, astronomy instrumentation, laser systems, microscopy components, optical communications, space technology, defense optics, custom optics, electromagnetic actuators, Bertin Technologies, industrial imaging, scientific instrumentation, optical engineering, wavefront control