Raman spectroscopy is an essential technique used in the study of materials – including nanostructures – and biological systems to analyse their composition. Its applications range from the medical industry to planetary explorations. Despite their popularity as a non-destructive, fast and efficient tool for the identification and verification of various substances, Raman spectrometers have historically been bulky and expensive. In an effort to make them smaller, affordable and capable of delivering actionable results, an initiative under the EU-funded IoSense project has developed a new system with an on-chip technology. It can be used to produce handheld scanners or even be incorporated into a smartphone.