Advancing time-resolved mass spectrometry imaging with SPAD cameras

Bern, Switzerland, 10th September 2025 – Pi Imaging Technology, a leading innovator in high-performance Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) arrays and cameras, and MassSpecpecD, a pioneer in advanced chiral Mass Spectrometry (MS) solutions, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the integration of Pi Imaging Technology’s cutting-edge time-resolved SPAD cameras into MassSpecpecD’s next-generation electron and ion Velocity Map Imaging (VMI) Mass Spectrometry platforms for direct chiral molecular analysis.

The MoU was signed in the presence of the Dutch Vice-Minister for Foreign Trade, Michiel Sweers, and the Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Helene Budliger Artieda, during a special network reception and dinner in Bern, hosted by the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Switzerland, Karin Mössenlechner, as part of a 2.5 day Economic Trade Mission of the Netherlands to Switzerland (9-11 Sep 2025).

This strategic partnership aims to revolutionize the field of mass spectrometry by enabling unprecedented resolution in chemical analysis of chiral molecules, of relevance for the Flavour & Fragrances, the Pharmaceutical and the Agrochemical industries, as well as for emerging medical applications of chiral biomarker analysis for (early) medical disease diagnostics and treatment monitoring. By combining Pi Imaging Technology’s expertise in ultra-fast ultra-sensitive SPAD imaging with MassSpecpecD’s advanced laser-based chiral Mass Spectrometry Photoelectron Circular Dichroism (MS-PECD) technology, customers will gain the ability to observe and analyze (transient) chemical processes and compositions with significantly enhanced detail, speed and insight regarding enantiomeric composition of chiral molecules.

The aim of this MoU is to integrate and advance both SPAD and MS-PECD technologies and to bring novel Mass Spectrometry platforms to the Laboratory Analytical and Scientific Instrumentation market.

About Pi Imaging Technology – a ZEISS company:
Pi Imaging Technology is a leading innovator in the field of optical imaging, revolutionizing light detection through our SPAD technology. Our cutting-edge solutions offer unparalleled sensitivity and minimal noise, setting new industry standards.

With a focus on innovation and excellence, we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in optical imaging, serving research and industrial communities worldwide.

About MassSpecpecD:
Founded in 2015, MassSpecpecD BV aims to commercialize ultrafast laser-based MS-PECD technology for the direct enantiomer-selective detection of chiral molecules. We collaborate with various innovative high-tech companies and with world-leading academic scientists to develop the first commercial mass spectrometer for direct chiral analysis.

We are based on the High Tech Campus of the University of Twente, and we are strongly networked via R&D collaborations with multiple other Universities in the Netherlands.