From market pull to clinical validation

At Photonics West 2026, the world’s largest photonics conference,, Refined’s CEO and co founder Max Brinkmann spoke in the session Transition from Academia to Industry, reflecting on the company’s journey from academic research to clinical applications.

The story of Refined began in 2017 with a simple question raised after a conference presentation: could the underlying laser technology be turned into a practical tool for medical diagnostics?

Nine years later, the technology has evolved into a clinical imaging system that allows surgeons to analyze tissue directly at the point of care. In a recent clinical study, a senior neurosurgeon at a German university hospital used the device to identify glioblastoma from fresh tissue within minutes without staining.

Today Refined has grown into a multidisciplinary team of more than 20 experts across physics, medicine, artificial intelligence, and regulatory affairs. The company has secured €5.5 million in public funding, collaborates with more than 40 hospitals, and continues to advance its imaging systems toward clinical deployment.