Introduction

Thomas Edison said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Edison’s credo has significant resonance for Optodot president Dr. Steve Carlson who forged a friendship with the inventor’s son, Theodore Edison, in the 1980s. Edison’s inventions revolutionized life in the 20th century. Since its founding in 2000, Optodot has been matching its advanced materials technologies to the pressing needs of the 21st century world market.

Optodot Team

Founder Steve Carlson received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from MIT and has over 25 years of experience as a chief technology officer and chief marketing officer for various high technology companies in the imaging, data storage media, coatings, chemicals, and battery businesses. He is the author of over two dozen patents.

Optodot continually seeks to innovate in the commercialization of next generation products based on nanoporous membranes and infrared (IR) organic coatings. Our discoveries in this field have produced a wide range of products for commercial, government, and military applications.

Background

Research has been funded in part by SBIR contracts awarded by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). Optodot has also been supported from its founding by Ignite!, a company of mostly MIT alumni under the leadership of Bruce Anderson and Douglas Zingale, specializing in high-tech start-ups.

Location

Our Watertown, MA headquarters are strategically located near manufacturering partners for convenient production outsourcing and collaborative research and development, and in close proximity to major universities and technical centers of excellence.