Meet the Team
The company
LIG Nanowise – Pioneering Super-Resolution Optical Microscopy
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Founded in 2014 and headquartered at Manchester Science Park in the UK, LIG Nanowise is a technology company at the forefront of optical imaging innovation. The company was established by Professor Lin Li, Dr. Wei Guo, and Dr. Zhu Liu—leading experts in laser engineering, microsphere imaging, and nanomaterials.
LIG Nanowise is best known for its patented SMAL technology (Super-resolution Microsphere Amplifying Lens), which allows conventional white-light microscopes to achieve imaging resolutions below 200 nanometres—far beyond the diffraction limit. Unlike electron microscopy, SMAL enables real-time, full-colour, non-destructive imaging without the need for vacuum or sample coating.
The company’s flagship systems, including the NANORO M and SMAL AIR Lens, are used in applications ranging from semiconductor inspection and graphene analysis to mineralogy, metal alloys, and precision manufacturing. These tools provide researchers and engineers with a powerful alternative to more complex and expensive nanoscale imaging methods.
LIG Nanowise has attracted significant investment, including a £2.6 million seed round led by Phoenix Bridge and Innovate UK, to support international growth, manufacturing, and R&D. A strategic partnership with Nikon in 2021 further extended the company’s global reach.
LIG Nanowise is dedicated to making super-resolution microscopy more accessible, enabling new breakthroughs in both scientific research and industrial innovation.
Board of directors
Dr. Lin Li
Chairman & founder
Dr. Wei Guo
founder
Dr. Zhu Liu
founder
Dr. Sebastien Vilain
Product Development Manager
Senior Optical Engineer
Sébastien’s journey reads like a masterclass in global innovation
and optical engineering excellence. He began his professional
ascent in France at the Institut Charles de Launay in Troyes,
where he didn’t just contribute—he pioneered. There, he developed
the institute’s very first novel optical microscope, setting a new
standard in their research capabilities. Driven by relentless
curiosity and ambition, Sébastien then moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to pursue a PhD and push the boundaries of scanning near-field microscopy. His expertise expanded further through elite postdoctoral positions—first at very prestigious Seoul National University in South Korea, and then at the world-renowned King’s College in London.
But it was at LIG Nanowise that Sébastien’s vision truly came to life. Joining as an optical engineer, he was instrumental in building from the ground up the revolutionary Nanoro microscope and the game-changing SMAL lens. Today, nearly a decade later, he leads from the front as Product Development Manager for microscope innovation and serves as the Senior Optical Engineer spearheading the fabrication and advancement of the SMAL lens. Beyond the lab, Sébastien is a renaissance man. A gifted artist and musician, a culinary force in the kitchen, and a passionate football fan, he brings creativity, precision, and flair to everything he touches.
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Dr. Sorin‑Laurentiu Stanescu
R&D Manager,
Senior Electrical Engineer
Sorin‑Laurentiu is the pioneering first employee of LIG Nanowise
and today leads its R&D efforts. An Electrical Engineer by training,
he earned a PhD developing innovative laser devices for medical and nanotechnology
applications. He continued his scientific journey as a Postdoctoral Fellow
at the University of Manchester, where he worked on cutting‑edge nano‑optics
instrumentation. At LIG Nanowise, Sorin has steered the development of advanced microscopy solutions and co‑authored more than 40 scientific publications, many in high‑impact microscopy and optics journals. He has served as principal investigator or co‑investigator on 10 research grants. Among his notable achievements is contributing to one of the first studies documenting nanoplastics in drinking water, conducted in collaboration with The University of Manchester.
Guided by scientific rigor and innovation, Sorin plays a central role in advancing LIG Nanowise’s breakthrough research in imaging and nanoscience.
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Ivan Urwin
Senior Software Development