Applications for Luminate cohort 9 are in, with 139 companies from 33 countries in the mix. It’s a dynamic, global pool and our team is now deep in the review process, identifying a new group of breakthrough startups. Stay tuned for the announcement, coming next month!
Expanding Luminate’s expertise
Luminate is proud to welcome Harsh Yallapragada to the team as Data Analyst. Building on prior internship experience with us, Harsh is focused on measuring Luminate’s impact, surfacing insights, and identifying industry trends and opportunities to better support our startups. With a background in systems engineering and an M.S. in Business Analytics from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School, Harsh adds both technical depth and strategic perspective.
The Luminate advisory board grows stronger with the addition of Barry Silverstein, newly appointed director of the Center for Extended Reality at the University of Rochester. Barry brings decades of experience in optics and display technology, including leadership roles at Meta’s Reality Labs, IMAX, and Kodak. A 2024 recipient of an Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Scientific and Engineering Award, he holds 100 U.S. patents and has guided multiple successful technology transfer programs.
With gratitude
Our thanks to Paul Pickering, Managing Partner at Silicon Catalyst, for his years of guidance and expertise as a trusted mentor and advisory board member. Joining shortly after Luminate’s strategic partnership with Silicon Catalyst was announced in 2022, Paul has been instrumental in connecting our startups to the semiconductor ecosystem. While he’s stepping back from the board, our collaboration with Silicon Catalyst continues. Thank you for your contributions, Paul!
New partnership to help Luminate startups strengthen technical and commercial readiness
Moving from concept to commercialization requires powerful tools, and early access can make all the difference. Through a new collaboration with VPIphotonics, Luminate startups can leverage advanced photonic design and simulation tools, training resources, and certification pathways. VPIphotonics’ software is used by industry-leading companies developing next‑generation photonic integrated circuits, datacenter interconnects, quantum communications, laser satellite communications, and related technologies.
“VPIphotonics’ powerful toolset is a great fit for [our startups’] development needs, and furthers our commitment to offering best-in-class capabilities that will jumpstart their growth,” shared Luminate’s Director of Technology Integration, Damon Diehl.
Portfolio wins
Custom Surgical closed a €3.5 million pre-series A round to accelerate the digitization of ophthalmology. Its hardware-agnostic solutions bring structured, data-driven workflows—and future AI capabilities—directly into everyday eye care by integrating seamlessly with existing clinical environments.
Photonect Interconnect Solutions is one of six Central New York businesses to receive a share of more than $350K through the new NY THRIVE (Technology Hub for Revolutionary Innovation and Viable Ecosystems) Innovation Voucher program. The support will be used to review and fabricate components for Photonect’s prototype PIX-Attach, a first-of-its-kind, laser splicing system for high-volume photonic integration.
Lidrotec, in partnership with TRUMPF, unveiled its breakthrough laser dicing process at SEMICON Korea, achieving three times the speed of conventional mechanical sawing with plasma-level edge quality. The approach uses ablative laser dicing under a liquid stream with precision beam shaping, improving yield, reducing maintenance, and supporting a wider range of semiconductor materials.
IRIDESENSE has advanced to the Grand Prix ACF AutoTech 2026 Final, which will take place in April at the Automobile Club de France in Paris. The international startup competition highlights innovation in the automotive, mobility and industrial sectors.
Pixel Photonics is one of just 61 startups and SMEs selected from 121 proposals for the European Innovation Council Accelerator, receiving a €2.5M grant and €6M in equity financing. EIC support will enable Pixel to accelerate industrialization, expand into multi-mode detection, and prepare for foundry-scale production.
Qunnect has demonstrated the first entanglement swapping of its kind over deployed metro-scale fiber, connecting its Brooklyn headquarters with the 60 Hudson Street data center in Manhattan. The record-breaking results prove that Qunnect’s commercial hardware supports advanced quantum networking protocols and a scalable hub-and-spoke architecture for real-world metro-scale networks.
Qunnect also partnered with Deutsche Telekom to successfully demonstrate quantum teleportation over a commercial network in Berlin, marking a major milestone in advancing deployable quantum technologies on existing telecommunications infrastructure.
Tap into support and funding
Applications are open for the BenDaniel Venture Challenge, the annual pitch competition from Big Red Ventures. New York State-based or Cornell-affiliated companies are eligible to apply to pitch to an investor panel during Entrepreneurship at Cornell’s Celebration Ezra, with cash prizes up to $25K. Apply by March 14.
Moving from prototype to production? NextCorps’ Manufacturing Accelerator can help you do it with confidence. This free, nine-week virtual program connects startups with industry experts, trusted manufacturing partners, and funding opportunities to scale efficiently and affordably. Participation requires approximately four hours per week. Apply by April 10.
GENIUS NY is looking for cohort 10. The startup accelerator invests $3M annually into early-stage companies focused on uncrewed aerial systems, automation, and advanced air mobility. Winners also receive business training, office space and amenities, and recruiting, marketing, and fundraising support. Apply by May 17.
News from the optics epicenter
URochester, RIT receive $2 million in tech funds
The University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology have secured $2 million in federal funding to advance Rochester Quantum Network (RoQNET), an experimental fiber-optic network connecting the two campuses. The funding will support research into sharing entangled photons across the network, while also creating hands-on learning opportunities for students.