Strategic Technology Acquisition for Life Sciences

HILLSBORO, Ore., Nov. 14, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FEI (Nasdaq:FEIC), a
leading instrumentation company providing imaging and analysis systems
for research and industry, today announced that it has acquired TILL
Photonics of Munich, Germany. TILL provides sophisticated, high
resolution, digital light microscopes and high speed imaging systems
for live cell fluorescence microscopy.

"The Life Sciences market is a key growth opportunity for FEI," noted
Don Kania, president and CEO of FEI. "With this acquisition, FEI
acquires additional key technology for correlative microscopy for
cellular biology, which integrates high performance light and electron
microscopy. Now we can accelerate the growth of our Life Sciences
business, which is an important component of our company-wide plan to
double our served available market in the next three years."

"The very open and flexible microscope platforms of TILL are an ideal
starting point for correlative microscopy," commented Frank Lison,
president of TILL Photonics GmbH. "They will open up new market
opportunities for our high-resolution technologies. The strength of FEI
will help us to achieve our goals much faster."

The purchase price for the acquisition is EURO14.5 million
(approximately $20 million), plus an earn-out payable in two years
based on attainment of specified milestones. TILL brings great
products, a wealth of technology and a skilled and experienced team to
FEI, along with revenues of approximately $8 million for calendar year
2011.

About FEI

FEI (Nasdaq:FEIC) is a leading diversified scientific instruments
company. It is a premier provider of electron- and ion-beam microscopes
and solutions for nanoscale applications across many industries:
industrial and academic materials research, life sciences,
semiconductors, data storage, natural resources and more. With more
than 60 years of technological innovation and leadership, FEI has set
the performance standard in transmission electron microscopes (TEM),
scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and DualBeams(TM), which combine a
SEM with a focused ion beam (FIB). Headquartered in Hillsboro, Ore.,
USA, FEI has over 2,000 employees and sales and service operations in
more than 50 countries around the world. More information can be found
at: www.fei.com.

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About TILL

TILL Photonics GmbH develops and markets cutting-edge microscopes and
microscopy related products for imaging of living cells since 1993. The
flexible imaging platforms enable innovative set-ups that are used in
fundamental research, applied science and diagnostics. Its 40 employees
are located in Munich, Germany. More information is available at
www.till-photonics.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements that include
statements regarding the potential benefits and expectations for the
acquisition by FEI of TILL Photonics, including its 2011 revenue, as
well as FEI's plans to double its served available market in the next
three years. Factors that could affect these forward-looking statements
include but are not limited to failure of the TILL product and
technology to perform as expected and achieve anticipated results;
slower-than-expected development of the correlative microscopy market;
failure to successfully integrate TILL's products and strategy with
FEI's; failure of the company's plans to expand its markets, including
Life Sciences, as expected; a significant cyclical downturn in the
company's existing markets; and the failure of planned new products to
expand markets as expected. Please also refer to our Form 10-K, Forms
10-Q, Forms 8-K and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission for additional information on these factors and other
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements. FEI assumes no duty to update
forward-looking statements.


CONTACT: Sandy Fewkes, Principal (media contact)
         MindWrite Communications, Inc
         +1 408 224 4024
         sandy@mind-write.com
         
         FEI Company
         Fletcher Chamberlin (investors and analysts)
         Investor Relations
         +1 503 726 7710
         fletcher.chamberlin@fei.com