CAMBRIDGE RAMAN IMAGING LTD

Their core work

Cambridge Raman Imaging specializes in advanced Raman spectroscopy and imaging technologies, including coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). They develop label-free, non-invasive optical microscopy techniques for biomedical and materials characterization applications. Their work bridges ultrafast nonlinear optics with practical imaging solutions, contributing Raman imaging expertise to large-scale EU research initiatives including the Graphene Flagship and disease-origin research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 involvement (2018-2020) was broad, contributing Raman characterization across multiple graphene application domains — composites, energy, electronics, photonics, sensors, and biomedical technologies within the Graphene Flagship. From 2020 onward, their focus sharpened in two distinct directions: deeper into biomedical Raman imaging (CRIMSON, their best-funded project) and toward industrial-scale graphene characterization via pilot lines (2D-EPL). This split suggests a company maturing from a general Raman services provider into one with defined biomedical and industrial characterization tracks.

Moving toward applied biomedical diagnostics and industrial-scale 2D materials quality control, away from purely fundamental research contributions.

How they like to work

Cambridge Raman Imaging exclusively participates as a partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for a specialist SME contributing a specific technical capability to larger initiatives. Their 227 unique consortium partners across 21 countries indicate they operate within very large flagship-scale consortia rather than small focused teams. This means they are experienced at integrating into complex multi-partner projects and delivering defined work packages, but prospective partners should expect them as a technical contributor rather than a project driver.

With 227 consortium partners across 21 countries, their network is extensive but largely inherited from the Graphene Flagship mega-consortium. Their real collaborative relationships are likely a smaller subset within the flagship's graphene characterization and biomedical imaging work packages.

What sets them apart

They sit at a rare intersection: a private company with deep expertise in coherent Raman imaging techniques (CARS, SRS) applied to both advanced materials and biomedical problems. While many university labs do Raman spectroscopy, a dedicated SME offering these capabilities as a service or partnership contribution is uncommon in the EU research landscape. For consortium builders, they bring commercial-grade Raman imaging without the overhead of negotiating with a large university department.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CRIMSON
  Their largest funded project (EUR 468,312) and most technically focused — applying coherent Raman imaging to study disease origins, representing their clearest independent research identity beyond the Graphene Flagship.
• GrapheneCore3
  Continuation in the Graphene Flagship Core Project 3 with EUR 140,000 funding demonstrates sustained trust from the flagship consortium in their Raman characterization capabilities.
• 2D-EPL
  Signals a shift toward industrial pilot-line work for 2D materials, suggesting the company is positioning itself for manufacturing-scale quality control applications.