The purity of diamonds made by Swiss company LakeDiamond significantly exceeds the purity of natural stones. This could revolutionise many high-tech industries.

Diamonds are commonly known as a precious stone used for engagement rings and shiny necklaces. But they’re actually much more than that. “The unique physicochemical properties of this stone make it an extraordinary material for many uses other than jewellery,” said Alex Kummerman, chief investment officer of LakeDiamond. “Diamonds could revolutionise new technologies, but they could also be used in medicine and microelectronics and even replace silicon in some cases.” Strong and elastic, with superior heat conduction and high transparency, diamonds have many uses in mechanics and optics. But the process of obtaining very pure stones and shaping them into complex forms with micrometer-range precision (a thousandth of a millimetre) is very difficult. LakeDiamond, an EPFL spin-off located at the EPFL Innovation Park, is an expert in this field. “The diamonds we produce as slabs are purer than the diamonds found in nature,” said Pascal Gallo, CEO of LakeDiamond. “We are one of three companies in the world that are able to attain such purity.”

The diamond plates produced by LakeDiamond are purer than natural stones.

LakeDiamond has even more added value in the following step: carving diamonds. In partnership with EPFL, the company improved a technique known as reactive-ion etching, which is commonly used in the electronic chip industry. With this technique, LakeDiamond can carve a minuscule escapement wheel (3 mm wide and 0.15 mm deep), which is used in the watchmaking industry. “We’ve just signed an agreement with a major Swiss watchmaker,” said Kummerman. “That industry is very interested in our work because diamonds significantly reduce friction. As a result, using diamonds could reduce the amount of lubrication needed while simultaneously increasing the power reserve, or the amount of time before the watch has to be rewound.” Another advantage of diamond: it is a highquality translucent material that can be tinted with colour, which is very important for watchmakers.

Wireless energy transfer

“Our process could lead to a small revolution in watchmaking,” said Kummerman. “But it is certainly more groundbreaking in the new technologies industry. It could lead to new applications that we have no idea about yet.” Once again in partnership with EPFL, LakeDiamond is working to create ultra-pure optical parts designed to be used in lasers. “Placing a diamond in the production zone of a laser’s light multiplies the power of the laser,” said Pascal Gallo, who has a Ph.D. in quantum physics. “This technology can therefore be used in an incredible number of applications. You could, for example, transfer energy over a long distance wirelessly.” “I’m convinced that the next generation of drones and electric aeroplanes will use this technology,” predicted Kummerman.

LakeDiamond also has two other potentially disruptive applications in mind. The first is for high-voltage transistors, which are used particularly in electric vehicle recharging stations. “Using diamond-based transistors instead of silicon-based ones would make it possible for the machines to function at very high temperatures,” said Gallo. “For example, current computers shut down when the chips reach a temperature of 120°C in order to not damage the chips. But if diamonds are used instead, computers could still run at 600°C. For regular home computer use, this isn’t that relevant, but if this technology was used in aeroplane reactors, detectors could be placed closer to the motor.” Secondly, LakeDiamond is looking at biological sensors, a field in which the use of diamonds could improve the detection of several diseases, thanks to the biocompatibility of diamonds and their electromagnetic properties

THREE QUESTIONS

“AN ICO IS THE IDEAL SOLUTION”

LakeDiamond will launch an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) in partnership with Swissquote Bank. CEO Pascal Gallo explains why the company chose this method. Interview.

Why is LakeDiamond launching an ICO?

Our goal is to raise 60 million Swiss francs in order to advance to industrial production. We currently have two reactors which can produce 15,000 slabs of ultra-pure diamonds per year. With the ICO, we hope to finance the construction of 50 reactors that will be able to produce 300,000 slabs per year.

Why not seek financing from venture capital firms?

We could have raised funds in the traditional way, as several investment companies were interested in LakeDiamond’s capital. But we didn’t want to lose control of our company, especially because potential investors were focused on the military industry. We didn’t want the company to go in that direction. For us, an ICO is the ideal solution. We’ll be able to industrialise our production without diluting capital.

Why did you choose Swissquote as your partner?

Leveraging its expertise in the field of blockchain and its position as an online bank, Swissquote offers its clients possibilities usually reserved for insiders. These features are valuable for the success of our ICO. We are therefore delighted that Swissquote selected LakeDiamond to launch its range of services for ICOs.



Pascal Gallo

CEO of LakeDiamond