Resources - Luminate

The right resources multiple opportunity.

Grow faster with capital, coaching, and connections.

EDUCATION

At Luminate, startups gain access to a comprehensive world of support.

Luminate selects 10-12 promising companies to join its accelerator each year. Our cohort teams go through 50+ workshops to complete the due diligence necessary to attract investment dollars, enter into manufacturing successfully, and grow their business.

Here is just a glimpse into the business training topics our subject matter experts cover over the course of the 6-month program:

Design for manufacturing
Bills of materials
Cost modeling
Import/export
Government contracting
Intellectual property

Pitch coaching
Solution selling
Branding
Scalable marketing
Public relations
Lead generation

Business modeling
Valuations
Board governance
Employment law
Regulatory
Hiring & work culture

INVESTOR INTROS

Increase opportunities for funding

Unlike other accelerator programs, Luminate provides its cohorts with multiple opportunities to meet investors—from local fast-pitch events with angel investors, VCs, and leading OPI+L brands; to regional competitions and Demo Day events; to investors meetings in NYC, Boston, and other big cities. These experiences help startups perfect their pitch to secure funding.

Don’t forget: Our startups also compete for $2 million in follow-on funding at graduation, with the grand prize of $1 million going to Company of the Year.

As a founding team made up of underrepresented minorities, we have found it challenging to find investors and resources. Luminate has helped us validate our go-to-market strategy, stabilize our revenue models, and strengthen our relationships with critical partners.”

Brandon Zimmerman, CEO, Digiteyez/Clear Eye Test (cohort 6)

1:1 MENTORING

Work alongside experienced advisors

Luminate mentors are renowned in the optics, photonics, imaging, and lasers community for their expertise and accomplishments. They’re also known for looking at things from different perspectives to quickly spot potential opportunities or flaws in planning and execution. This support keeps startups moving on the path to commercialization.

We conduct an assessment to match mentors to specific startup needs.

Mentors connect companies with resources across the global OPI+L network to speed progress.

Startups meet weekly or biweekly with mentors to resolve challenges.

LABS

Innovate onsite in equipped labs

Luminate is located in NextCorps’ Sibley Square technology incubator. This facility includes a fully featured R&D optics lab, an electronics lab, a fabrication lab with 3D printers, and four wet labs. Our optical metrology technician is highly skilled (he’s the co-inventor of nine patents!) and ready to help teams further develop their technologies.