Most of us share the goal of ending the year on a strong note. If you’ve spent 2021 developing an innovation that’s enabled by optics, photonics, or imaging, give yourself a gift by applying to Luminate before the year closes. Here’s a short list of how Luminate can propel your progress well into 2022: It could lead to big things. (Like $1 million in funding and greater brand awareness.) It’s a great way to get feedback on your technology and business. And the people you meet might be your next investors, partners, or employees. (Applications are reviewed by industry experts on our advisory board.) Even if you’re not accepted to cohort 5, your application could help you secure a spot in a future cohort. (Did you know our cohort 3 $1 million funding recipient was a runner-up in cohort 2?) An early application — which takes 30 minutes or less to complete — not only gives you a jumpstart on a productive 2022, but more time to enjoy the busy holiday season. Cheers to that! If you’re still on the fence, sign up for a free info session. You can catch the recording of our November overview session, or join

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 startup, and listen to a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship with distinguished women in science and investment, including Susan Houde-Walter and Dr. Manjari Chandran-Ramesh. Plus, stick around to hear how your startup can apply to be part of cohort 5. Of course, all work and no play isn’t the Luminate way. This week, cohort 4 teams visited us from around the U.S. to pitch to Excell Partners and then relax while taking in some of Rochester’s favorite spots ⁠— Genesee Brew House, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and Radio Social. Good drinks, good eats, and fun times. SEMINAR HIGHLIGHT: How to Jumpstart Lead Generation Developing Audience-Centric Messaging and Offers, with NextCorps Startups are notoriously strapped for cash and time. When they’re ready for sales, they need a strategy for attracting and nurturing leads that doesn’t break the bank and makes the most of stretched bandwidths. Cohort

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 cohort 2. To date, the 40 companies in the portfolio now share a net worth of $300 million, and many are establishing U.S. operations. As Managing Director, Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan, shared, “Companies are finding that Rochester provides a viable soft-landing for their businesses to establish a U.S. presence.” SEMINAR HIGHLIGHT: Self-Compassionate Mindfulness Techniques and Tools for Leadership and High Performance, with Sabrina Vogler Emotional intelligence (or E.Q.) is responsible for 90% of our ability to succeed in leadership. Through mindfulness, we can cultivate E.Q. We can “rewire” old habits, feel more productive and satisfied, craft new ways to respond to stress, and lead with compassion. During month three of their time in the accelerator, cohort 4 startups participated in a two-part workshop on mindfulness with Sabrina Vogler, Certified Professional Coach, Executive Coach, and Grief Specialist in private practice at Heart in the Moment Mindfulness Coaching, LLC.

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, “I trust science because…” See more answers on Twitter. SEMINAR HIGHLIGHT: Winning Business Plans Tips for Approaching Investors, from Derby Management Luminate cohort 4 teams recently participated in a two-part interactive boot camp with Jack Derby, Head Coach and President, and George Simmons, Senior Partner, at Boston-based management consulting firm, Derby Management. Jack and George have sat on both sides of the table in investor pitches. They’ve served as C-level execs at multiple early-stage companies and founded numerous startups with successful exits, and they’re experienced venture investors who have raised more than $840 million. Their boot camp focused on the elements of an effective business plan and what leadership should be doing within the first years to achieve scalable growth. “Most startups don’t succeed,” said Jack, pointing out a recent article from Harvard Business Review. “And the reason is that they can’t go to market. They

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 hit the ground running and made strong first impressions. Keep reading for a recap of our newest cohort’s first month and highlights from our portfolio. SEMINAR HIGHLIGHT: Founders’ and Employee Equity Tips for Growing Your Team, from Jason Klimek Among the decisions startup founders need to make in the early days of building their businesses, distributing equity is one of the trickiest. Earlier this month, cohort 4 teams received guidance from Jason W. Klimek, Associate in the Business and Finance Department at Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP. Jason talked through a continuum of incentives that early-stage companies can consider offering their employees — from equity-based options like stock awards to cash-based alternatives such as bonuses — along with the associated advantages, disadvantages, and tax consequences to the employee and company. “When your company is starting out and your valuation is changing, issuing stock options as part of

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 efficiency of buildings Dynocardia Inc. — First non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) method that measures BP continuously and with accuracy compared to the gold standard Infrascreen SA — Nanotech solutions for better climate control in greenhouses Layer Metrics Inc. — Monitoring system that enables intelligent 3D printing Mesodyne — Ultra-high, energy-density compact power generators that increase the endurance of small autonomous systems by 10x over batteries alone Momentum Optics — High-quality, affordable, and rapidly delivered custom optics OSCPs Motion Sensing Inc. — Inertial navigation sensors for autonomous vehicles Owl Autonomous Imaging — World’s only 3D Thermal Ranger™, providing HD imaging and precision ranging that is a 150x improvement in resolution and cloud density of LiDAR PreAct Technologies — Sensors and software that make it possible to angle car seats away, deploy airbags earlier, and raise the car suspension before the impact of a crash occurs to save