SNAP Sensor SA Starts Up

CSEM 2011 Annual Report says that Neuchâtel, Switzerland-based CSEM has spun-off an image sensor company:

"With the launch of SNAP Sensor SA in summer 2011, CSEM pursued its strategy of targeting the creation of start-ups with proven technologies and high-potential sales opportunities. CSEM’s 31st start-up is active in the commercialization of an optimized CMOS-imager for surveillance applications."

"SNAP Sensor is a founder-funded start-up company based in Neuchâtel, which was created in 2011 to commercialize optimized-imager technology that emerged from an 8-year CSEM internal research program. This optimized CMOS-imager efficiently extracts the necessary information from an image to run highly compressed and low-processing power video analytics for use in a range of non-mainstream surveillance applications. These applications cannot be served by regular camera systems, particularly where the camera units are not connected to a high-bandwidth video infrastructure network such as remote location or battery-operated systems with limited or no communication bandwidth."

"SNAP Sensor has acquired its first big customers, something that CSEM has also been instrumental in achieving. It didn’t just hand over the technology to its partner: in this case, the researchers also helped SNAP Sensor to create concept evaluation and demonstration platform, which helped the young company gain the interest of toptier industrial customers. CSEM also gave SNAP Sensor access to administrative and technical sales support in the first months of its creation. SNAP Sensor was even able to hire one of the original engineers on the project as Chief Technology Officer... The collaboration between CSEM and SNAP Sensor is now about to enter a new phase, with CSEM being commissioned to develop SNAP Sensor next technology innovation in a project funded by Switzerland’s CTI program."