Luminate received nearly 200 applications for cohort 8, a new record for the accelerator. Of the ten finalists that were selected after pitching their innovative ideas, seven hail from outside of the United States—further proof of the program’s global reach and the region’s appeal as a hub for innovation in optics, photonics, and imaging.
“The caliber of companies joining Luminate matches the quality and innovative thinking of the supply chain partners, manufacturers, and investors that are located here and eager to help them speed the development of their technologies and strength of their businesses,” said Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer.
The ten teams selected to join us include:
- amPICQ (India) — Specializing in the design and development of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) for Quantumcom, Datacom, and Telecom.
- IRIDESENSE (France) — Optimizing resources and reducing carbon footprint with the first 3D SWIR Multispectral Perception solution.
- LirOptic (Ireland) — Using groundbreaking solid-state, shape shifting, tunable optical lens technology to facilitate optical zoom in a shorter compact camera module (CCM) stack.
- Metahelios (United Kingdom) — Designing and developing metasurface image sensor technology for camera technologies that go beyond current technological limitations.
- Oblate Optics (U.S.) — Designing and fabricating advanced meta-optics, laser, and imaging applications.
- Pensievision (U.S.) — Creating novel, high-resolution 3D imaging technology for industrial applications and medical devices, including the world’s first portable colposcope for early-stage detection and analysis of pre-cancer cervical lesions.
- Pixel Photonics (Germany) — Redefining photon detection with Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors (SNSPD).
- SNOChip (U.S.) — Pushing the boundaries of optics and photonics with on-chip nanostructures.
- VanaM Inc. (South Korea) — Creating next-generation semiconductor thin films (quantum materials, smart glass) based on innovative deposition source technology and core IP.
- Wyse Light (France) — Developing simple, fast, and affordable optical measurement of reflective surfaces at nanometric precision.
Two companies were selected to participate outside of the finalist structure as runners up and will be auditing the program to help prepare and advance their businesses. Dottir Labs (U.S.) integrates hundreds of sensors over large distances and provides real-time, high-quality data on dynamic and complex chemical processes. Ciconia Medical (U.S.) is improving women’s childbirth experiences and outcomes through the first AI-based medical device for vaginal exams.
Read the full announcement from Empire State Development.
We’ll officially welcome cohort 8 to Rochester next month, and we’ll be sharing updates on these teams throughout their time in the accelerator.
Championing women founders
Women founders face numerous challenges, from limited access to funding to societal expectations and gender bias. In keeping with the core principles of Luminate’s mission to help startups succeed and elevate women in STEM, we proudly launched the Women Founders’ Forum. This new series offers founding and C-suite women from Luminate’s portfolio companies the opportunity to hear from accomplished, inspiring women working in OPI. The Forum provides a supportive space to talk about the unique hurdles they encounter, share strategies for overcoming them, and build a network of peers and mentors who understand their journey.
Our inaugural guest speaker was Marisa Edmund, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Edmund Optics, who has helped grow the company from 200 to over 1,300 employees during her tenure. She shared her unique perspective as a third-generation leader of a family business with a global presence, and fielded questions on topics from managing brand integrations and hiring, to navigating family dynamics.
In case you missed it
Accelerating action: Celebrating women founders in optics and photonics
This past International Women’s Day, we highlighted some of the incredible women founders in the Luminate portfolio who are accelerating action in STEM, breaking barriers, and forging paths for future generations.
Keeping our paths to innovation open
Luminate’s Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan illustrated how diversity drives innovation in an article contributed to the Rochester Beacon. She describes how failing to support different perspectives within a company can diminish the fresh ideas and creativity that help keep your brand relevant to more customers.
Advance your hardware production
If you’re working to bring a product to market, the NextCorps Manufacturing Accelerator can help you scale manufacturing efficiently and affordably. Apply to the free, virtual nine-week program to gain access to expert instruction on navigating the manufacturing process, and connections to vetted manufacturers, suppliers, and investors. Applications close April 17 with programming starting on April 23.
Portfolio wins
Congratulations to Labby CEO and Co-Founder, Julia Somerdin, and Photonect Interconnect Solutions CEO and Co-Founder, Dr. Juniyali Nauriyal, for making it through as finalists for TechRochester’s premier awards event. Somerdin and Nauriyal are in the running for Technology Woman of the Year Award and Emerging Technology Woman of the Year Award respectively.
Arovia showcased the next generation of its Splay ultra-portable collapsible-display technology at the SXSW Start-Up Crawl in Austin, Texas. The ultra-portable Splay Max, which can be seamlessly switched from a full HD display into a high-quality projector, now features a 35″ screen—twice the size of the original device.
Qunnect researchers demonstrated entanglement between a telecom-wavelength photon and a room-temperature quantum memory, marking another step toward scalable quantum networks.
Nicslab will be at OFC 2025 (the Optical Fiber Communications Conference), the premier global event for optical networking and communications, to unveil its new product, XSOM, a multichannel System-on-Module for integrated photonics.
Rubitection was selected to pitch at Superpowers for Good’s quarterly live pitch event, a high-stakes virtual competition that gave investors and the audience a firsthand look at the company’s AI-driven optical device that’s designed to detect and monitor chronic wounds and bedsores before they become life-threatening.
Circle Optics was recently in Washington to share updates on their work with Joe Morelle, U.S. representative for NY’s 25th congressional district, and founder and co-chair of the Congressional Optics & Photonics Caucus.
As the Founder and Co-Chair of @OPCaucus, I always look forward to meeting with cutting-edge optics companies, especially those based right at home in Rochester!
Thank you to the @circleoptics team for coming to Washington and giving me an update on your work. pic.twitter.com/oQXQMfOnfu
— Joe Morelle (@RepJoeMorelle | February 26, 2025)