As we head into the season of reflection, we’ve been thinking about what we’re grateful for at Luminate. This year brought another successful cohort to the finish line, bringing our portfolio to 85 companies with a combined estimated value of $700M. We welcomed new strategic partnerships—including a collaboration with PhotonDelta—and added new voices to our board of advisors. Luminate’s global reputation continues to grow, and none of this would be possible without our incredible community of founders, partners, and supporters. Thank you for being part of this journey—there’s a lot to celebrate, and even more to look forward to. The next chapter starts here Curious about Luminate and what it takes to join our accelerator? Upcoming info sessions are the perfect opportunity to hear from our team and alumni about what makes an application stand out and what participating in the world’s largest OPI-focused accelerator looks like. Our next session is December 10, where founders from the last cohort will share their perspective on how Luminate helped them grow. Access the info sessions If you already know Luminate is the right fit, don’t wait! Startups selected for cohort 9 receive $100,000 at program start, and gain access to deep technical

Luminate Finals lit up the stage at Arbor Midtown in downtown Rochester, drawing over 250 in-person attendees and hundreds more online to see the next wave of startup innovation powered by optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI). The event marked the culmination of seven months of intensive work for cohort 8—teams transforming industries from healthcare and manufacturing to quantum communications and space exploration. Finals was a time to celebrate their progress and showcase how far science-driven innovation can go with the right mix of mentorship, funding, and community support. If you missed the event, check out the recording. https://youtu.be/M6I7GQWouCU This year’s winners Company of the Year: Pensievision (San Diego, CA) Awarded $1 million in follow-on funding for its compact 3D imaging system that combines AI and astronomy-inspired optics to deliver precise insights in confined or complex environments. The technology has broad potential across diagnostics, manufacturing, and space applications. “Luminate gave us unmatched access to optics expertise, precision manufacturers, and advisors who helped shape our business model and customer acquisition strategy,” said Pensievision president, Tal Almog. “It has fast-tracked our ability to validate use cases, secure pilots, and prepare for institutional funding. This follow-on funding will help us to reinforce Rochester’s role

Less than three weeks until Luminate Finals 2025, our biggest event of the year and the culmination of cohort 8. This group of startups came to us from around the world and spent the past seven months advancing their innovations, refining go-to-market strategies, strengthening pitches, and building partnerships to fuel their success. Now it’s time to celebrate—and see which teams take home a piece of $2 million! Get a first look at what’s set to take the stage on October 22 at Arbor Midtown: The investments are decided by a panel of judges, but the $10K Audience Choice Award is up to YOU! Which startup will secure your vote? amPICQ — Tackling vulnerabilities in global data security and infrastructure Ciconia Medical — Revolutionizing labor monitoring with AI-powered cervical measurement Dottir Labs — Transforming chemical monitoring with real-time, field-ready compact sensors IRIDESENSE — Enabling long-range, high-resolution scene analysis in 3D and color LirOptic — Offering optical innovators unparalleled compactness, precision, and reliability Metahelios — Simplifying camera chip manufacturing and enhancing image quality Oblate Optics — Reimagining laser systems with AI-driven, ultra-thin precision optics Pensievision — Redefining what’s possible in diagnostics and detection with breakthrough 3D imaging Pixel Photonics — Unlocking scalable,

Our biggest event of the year is just around the corner! Join us on October 22 for Luminate Finals 2025, where the 12 startups from cohort 8 will cap off their time in the accelerator program and see who goes home with follow-on funding. Expect bold science, groundbreaking technology, and big checks—more than $2 million is on the line, including $1 million to Company of the Year. Vote for your favorite company and help them win $10K in cash. Register now to reserve your spot and get updates as the event draws near! Luminate Finals 2025 is sponsored by SPIE and part of the SPIE Optifab 2025 lineup. If you attend Finals in person, stick around for the SPIE Jam, kicking off at the same venue shortly after the event. Network over drinks with Rochester’s vibrant innovation community. Sharpening pitches, strengthening ties As we approach the end of cohort 8, we’re keeping the teams busy and further sharpening their investment readiness. The startups put their progress to the test during our annual 5×5 pitch series—five minutes to present, followed by five minutes of Q&A with investors—and recorded their company overview videos that will premiere during Luminate Finals. The teams also

Out of hundreds of proposals submitted nationwide, STELLAR has been selected as one of just 29 semifinalists in the National Science Foundation’s second Regional Innovation Engines competition, marking a pivotal step toward positioning Rochester and Upstate New York as a national leader in laser and optics innovation. A map showing the locations of the U.S. National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program’s 29 finalists for 2025. Credit: U.S. National Science Foundation Erwin Gianchandani, NSF’s assistant director for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, noted, “Each team was selected because it brought strong public and private partners to the table and outlined a promising vision for research, innovation, and workforce development in their respective regions of service, thereby advancing U.S. competitiveness, national security, and economic growth.” Led by the University of Rochester, the STELLAR initiative is building a collaborative laser and optics ecosystem that will expand education and economic development opportunities for generations to come, especially in underserved and rural communities. Luminate’s Managing Director and NextCorps’ Chief Investment Officer, Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan, is among the initiative’s core leadership team, helping to shape this transformative vision. Staying the course in photonics: A conversation with Dr. Michal Lipson We were honored to host Dr.

Luminate is strengthening global photonics innovation through a new strategic partnership with PhotonDelta, the Netherlands-based photonic chip accelerator. The partnership brings together two leading photonics ecosystems to strengthen international innovation, expand access to resources, and provide enhanced support for startups aiming to commercialize photonics technologies. “Our shared commitment to growing the photonics industry is at the heart of this partnership. Working with PhotonDelta allows us to combine strengths, support cross-border growth, and accelerate the development of breakthrough technologies,” said Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan. Read announcement Rochester’s rise as a tech powerhouse When Rochester was named one of the Top 10 Emerging Tech Markets in North America by Site Selection Magazine, we weren’t surprised. We see the momentum every day. While major metros like San Francisco and Toronto tend to dominate the spotlight, Rochester is proving it has the right ingredients for tech-driven growth: a deep bench of talent, affordable cost of living, and specialized strengths in optics, photonics, AI, and semiconductors. With 18 colleges and universities, 75,000 students, and 17,000 graduates each year, the region continues to feed a growing innovation ecosystem that supports startups at every stage. It’s a place where cutting-edge research meets real-world application, where collaboration across academia

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

Luminate’s newest cohort has officially begun. Our twelve teams—ten finalists plus two promising runners-up—arrived from all corners of the world to our offices in Rochester, NY to kick off their time in the accelerator program. Founders settled into our downtown space and began diving into the resources that will guide their growth over the next seven months, pausing for plenty of fun along the way. Highlights from week one included baseline meetings with members of the Luminate staff and advisory board, so we can get a clearer picture of where each business stands and what they need next, as well as meetings with NextCorps’ Manufacturing Accelerator staff to assess every team’s MRL (manufacturing readiness level), TRL (technology), and CRL (commercialization). The cohort had their first expert-led workshops—from customer discovery with Dr. Tanya Raymond of Sapienne Consulting, to solution selling with Karen Mesolella of Dawnbreaker—plus a visit from Mayor Malik Evans, who offered his perspective on why Rochester is a great place to work and call home. And no kick-off week is complete without our Tech Fast Pitch, where the teams delivered 3-minute presentations to members of the optics community who can help them forward their business right here in the

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