THE LENS
Focusing on Startups at the Accelerator, Industry Spotlights, and Portfolio Successes
Prepping for the Big Pitch
The countdown has begun! We’re getting closer to the day $2 million in follow-on funding is invested into a select few startups from cohort 4. Registration is open for Luminate Finals 2021, presented by The Optical Society (OSA). Join us to see which groundbreaking technologies take home the big checks, vote for your favorite […]
Where Innovation Grows
Now at the half-way point of cohort 4, Luminate continues to build on the region’s legacy for innovation in optics, photonics, and imaging. Two companies from our portfolio have committed to creating nearly 120 jobs in the City of Rochester — SunDensity, $1 million recipient of cohort 3; and Circle Optics, $250,000 recipient of […]
Powered by Light
The startups of Luminate are challenging the status quo in fields as diverse as medicine, transportation, communications, and energy. The one theme that unites them all is light. In celebration of the International Day of Light earlier this month, we asked members of our portfolio to chime in on the theme of the year, […]
Off to a Strong Start
One month into their time in the Luminate accelerator, the startups of cohort 4 are showing they came to work hard to advance their companies and technologies. Through baseline discussions with our Board Chair, Don Golini, quick pitches to members of the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster, and their first weeks of training, the teams […]
Introducing Cohort 4
Our typical program calendar has shifted due to COVID, but it seems fitting to welcome a new season of growth with a new cohort of promising startups. Out of 126 applications from 22 countries and 21 U.S. states, these 10 rose to the top! Andluca Technologies — UV-solar-powered smart glass for improving the energy […]
Cohort 4 Announcement Coming Soon!
Last week, 27 semi-finalists pitched virtually to our advisory board members for a place in cohort 4. Startup teams from around the world shared their innovations in augmented/virtual reality, medical devices and imaging, displays and light sources, precision manufacturing and measurement, materials science, spectroscopy, and sensors. They fielded questions about their tech, team, business […]
