Torsten Jähnke, physicist, Frank Pelzer, MBA, and Jörn Kamps, physicist, became friends at high school. From there, they studied at the Humboldt University in Berlin sharing a student apartment. In 1997, they decided they wanted to have their own company rather than being employees of a large corporation.

Fascinated by all forms of nanotechnology through student jobs, Torsten Jähnke initiated the idea to develop SPMs into a business. In October 1999, the three friends, while still students, founded JPK Instruments AG using their owns funds.

They all successfully completed university with a diploma degree in 2000/2002. Also, in 2000, they persuaded another good friend, René Grünberg, to join the board. Just one year later at the 2001 NanoBioTec conference in Münster, they launched the NanoWizard®, the world's first dedicated BioAFM.

Between 2002 and 2006 the company's revenues increased tenfold and the roadmap for a powerful product line was developed.

In 2006, NanoWizard® II product line came to market and the company was awarded with Deloitte's Fast 50 as Germany's fastest growing nanotechnology company in the same year.

And the story continues ...

Milestones