Luminate’s hometown may not be as widely recognized for its tech hub status as the Bay Area, London, or Beijing just yet. But Rochester has long been a leader on the world stage in optics and photonics, and we’re currently experiencing a surge in technology, particularly in the semiconductor and sensing industries. Our many universities contribute to a pipeline of tech talent, and we ranked #21 for alumni-founded startups in the U.S. in the recently published Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2025. Add in MIT’s ranking of Rochester as the #1 city in the country for tech growth potential and its designation as part of the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub, and it’s clear: this is a great place to build a business.
More news from the optics epicenter
QED Technologies to expand on University Avenue
QED Technologies International, founded by Luminate Board Chair Don Golini, is planning an $18.7 million expansion to its facility on University Avenue. The precision optics manufacturer expects to add up to 20,000 square feet to its site to create a new R&D center and grow its fabrication capabilities.
“QED Technologies’ decision to create a center of excellence for optical fabrication and precision optics further validates the Greater Rochester, NY, region’s world leadership in optics, photonics, imaging, and laser technologies,” says Matt Hurlbutt, president and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise. “The talented workforce in Rochester will enable QED to develop technology critical to the semiconductor and defense sectors.”
EvolvOptic eyes $5.1 million expansion
Advanced Glass Industries and Glass Fab Inc. are joining forces to create EvolvOptic, combining capabilities to serve the semiconductor, space, and high-energy laser sectors. The new company has plans for a $5.1 million expansion and creating up to 40 new jobs over the next five years.
G&H unveils Rochester Innovation Hub to accelerate life sciences manufacturing
G&H cut the ribbon on its new Innovation Hub for Life Sciences in Rochester. The facility was designed to bridge the gap between R&D activities and full-scale production, reducing time-to-market for life science applications. Housing research, prototyping, and ISO:13485-certified, high-volume manufacturing under one roof allows G&H to provide seamless support from concept to commercialization.
Cohort 8 connects with the region
Luminate recently hosted the sixth annual Regional Showcase. This high-energy, invite-only event introduces our startup teams to manufacturers and service providers who have a strong track record of fruitful collaborations with our portfolio companies. For Luminate’s newest cohort, the showcase isn’t just a warm welcome—it’s a direct line to the local ecosystem that can help turn cutting-edge ideas into scalable success stories.
Big thanks to all who participated and helped our teams see the possibilities for their business here in Rochester! (View the list.)
Outside of the showcase, cohort 8 took a trip to the RIT Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS), which included a session on design for sustainability and a tour of the facility. The rest of the cohort’s May in-person week was filled with training and workshops, including:
- Pitch coaching with Dr. Damon Diehl, Luminate’s Director of Technology Integration, and personalized 1:1 follow-up sessions
- How to build a successful team, with Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan, Luminate’s Managing Director
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management) strategy and integration, with Michele Nichols, President of Launch Team
- Value proposition development, with Holly Barrett, NextCorps’ Chief Marketing Officer; Kate Leonard, Digital Marketing Manager; and Dr. Ramanujan
- Building AI agents to automate work processes, with JJ Engler, founder of NoCode Alliance
- Developing a differentiated brand and messaging that resonates, with Holly Barrett
Teams also got the chance to take a breather and smell the lilacs at Highland Park—the “Lilac Capital of the World”—bend their brains during trivia night, and hop on a European-style racing circuit at IndyKart Raceway.
Portfolio wins
Pensievision completed final testing of its 3D imaging device at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, paving the way for its August launch to the International Space Station.
Arovia was named one of the Top 5 Startups at eMerge Americas. Selected from a pool of over 1,300 startups competing in the Emerge Accelerators program, Arovia was honored for its groundbreaking Splay, a 2-in-1 foldable 25-inch display and projector that delivers big-screen performance in a compact, travel-friendly form.
Bounce Imaging unveiled two game-changing products at Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week 2025: its Recce360 Deep Inspection Camera, the world’s first nuclear-resistant camera; and the Thermal Camera Spike, a deployable, 360-degree thermal imaging system that combines rugged durability with advanced thermal resolution. The company also earned second place at the U.S. Army xTech Program competition for its UAS-droppable camera concept.
Scout Space has been awarded a $3.2M Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) Sequential Phase II contract by the United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) Space Safari Office, with $1.6M coming from both SpaceWERX and Scout Space’s private match. This contract focuses on advancing the development and demonstration of a prototype data management system aimed at improving the tracking and custody of resident space objects (RSOs) through novel proprietary techniques.
Mosaic Microsystems is among the latest to join Siemens’ OSAT Alliance, an initiative to build a secure domestic semiconductor supply chain in the U.S.
MEETOPTICS recently launched the beta version of Louis, its photonics AI assistant that helps engineers and researchers find components and lab equipment based on their applications and requirements. Ask anything photonics-related and Louis will speed up your search. What used to take months now takes minutes, accelerating innovation in fields like medicine, autonomous driving, AR/VR, and quantum computing. Louis is going live in late June. Request early access.
The MEETOPTICS team also just celebrated a major milestone. More than 5,000 requests for quotes (RFQs) have been made by over 2,600 companies (ASML, Cisco, MIT, NASA, Oxford, Apple, UC Berkeley, SpaceX…) in 132 different countries through MEETOPTICS!
