Ipg Photonics Corp
A maker of high-power fiber lasers, IPG Photonics builds the machines that cut, weld, and braze metal in factories worldwide, plus handheld welders like the LightWELD. Founded in 1990 by physicist Valentin Gapontsev—called the "father of the fiber laser industry"—the company's name began as "IRE-Polus," blending a Russian electronics institute with the word for "pole." Nearly every component, from semiconductor diodes to finished lasers, is made in-house.