Proto Lase

Proto Lase operates in a specialized segment of medical-device contract manufacturing rather than competing as a broad diagnostic or finished-device company. Its focus is precision laser processing for components such as nitinol and stainless-steel tubes, catheter structures, wires, and electrodes. The offering spans prototype work and volume production, allowing the company to participate across multiple stages of a customer’s product-development cycle. The company’s differentiation is instead visible in the breadth of applications it supports: tube cutting, ablation, welding, marking, fine-wire stripping, electrode-to-wire welding, pull-wire assemblies, and related catheter processing. Its target markets include cardiovascular, orthopedic, neurovascular, ophthalmology, and drug-delivery applications, giving it exposure to several life-science niches while retaining a focused manufacturing capability. With fewer than 10 employees in the available company-size band and $3.33 million in disclosed seed funding, Proto Lase appears to be a focused specialist whose competitive position depends on process quality, lead times, and engineering responsiveness rather than scale.

Proto Lase was founded in 2018 by Brady Hatcher and Randy Beyreis and built its business around outsourced laser processing for medical-device manufacturers. The first clear financing inflection point was a $3.33 million seed round announced on Dec 2, 2021. That capital appears to have supported development of a broad processing portfolio spanning tube cutting, laser ablation, welding, marking, fine-wire stripping, and catheter-related work, although detailed use-of-funds information is unavailable. The next major inflection point occurred on Oct 1, 2025, when Proto Lase was acquired by Switchback Medical in a combination that also included LightningCath. Switchback Medical’s strategic investment from TJC, discussed again on Oct 7, 2025, suggests the transaction was intended to create a larger platform around specialized medical-device manufacturing. Proto Lase’s stated ability to serve both prototypes and volume programs provides a potential path from engineering engagement to recurring production work. However, the available profile contains no revenue figures, employee-growth history, additional funding rounds, hiring announcements, or product-launch dates. The company remains listed as active, with an employee band of one to 10 people. Consequently, the evidence supports a trajectory from focused startup to strategic platform component, but not a quantified assessment of commercial scale or growth rate.