inPhocal and the EIC Accelerator: Lasers That Replace Ink

inPhocal, based at High Tech Campus Eindhoven and led by CEO Robert van Tankeren, makes laser marking systems for packaging that aim to replace inkjet printers. Its EIC application said it had developed "the world's first optical system that can be integrated with laser marking systems to increase the focus range of the original laser beam up to 400 times", enabling high-resolution, fast marking on curved surfaces, and planned to "miniaturize the device, conduct pilot trials followed by business development", according to CORDIS.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,499,999 towards a €3.59 million project from January 2023 to December 2024. The final report, written in uneven English, describes a 2023 pilot with Tetra Pak on high-speed printing of can bottoms, followed by interest in caps. It says a new beam specification "overclasses the lab results" and that 50 production machines would use a 55 W fibre laser and a focus length of at least 11 cm, and run twice as fast as planned. It also records that programming work was taken in-house after talks with a supplier failed. In June 2025 inPhocal raised €5 million led by Cottonwood Technology Fund.

Where inPhocal Stands Now

inPhocal's website says "the first line of machines are installed at our customer's production line" and run around the clock, marking up to 3,000 unique QR codes a minute. In 2024 it moved to a larger office on the campus. The 2025 funding announcement cites "successful initial sales to leading industrial partners" and says the money will increase production capacity, strengthen the team and expand market reach. The report also mentions early lab work on semiconductor applications.

The Technology: A Laser That Stays in Focus

inPhocal says conventional lasers mark too slowly to replace inkjet. Its optics stretch the laser's depth of field, allowing fast, distortion-free marking without inks, which the application says are toxic and spray fine droplets. The company's figure for how much longer the focus is has changed: "up to 400 times" in the EIC application, "up to 20 times longer than traditional systems" in its 2025 funding announcement.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised to miniaturise the device, run pilots and develop the business. The report documents pilots and a production plan, and changes of course: dropping an automated tool for small customers to focus on large repeat clients, and hiring engineers instead of outsourcing. It does not state how many machines were built or sold by the end of 2024. CORDIS lists the project as closed.

1. Customer pilotsDeliveredTetra Pak, 2023.
2. Production-ready machineDeliveredLine at customer.
3. 50-machine productionUnverifiedNo count published.
4. 400x focus rangeRevisedNow "up to 20x".

The Money

The June 2025 round was led by Cottonwood Technology Fund with co-lead DeepTechXL and existing investors BOM, the Brabant development agency, and Tech Invest. inPhocal's revenue, the number of machines sold and the terms of its customer contracts are not public. The EIC award was a grant.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The application argues that inkjet marking is costly, low in quality and uses toxic inks. A faster, ink-free laser alternative is being built in Eindhoven. The EIC helped inPhocal from pilots to its first production line; the scale of sales is still to be shown.

The Verdict

inPhocal and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.