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.
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. Michal Lipson for the latest Women Founders’ Forum—a private event series for founding and C-suite women across Luminate’s portfolio companies. Widely recognized as a pioneer in silicon photonics, Dr. Lipson is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering and Professor of Applied Physics at Columbia University. She’s also a MacArthur Fellow and has been named one of the top 1% most highly cited researchers in physics every year since 2014.
Throughout an inspiring and candid conversation, Dr. Lipson spoke about navigating criticism, commercializing research, and the power of following your instincts—especially in environments where women remain underrepresented.
When she first got into silicon photonics, the field wasn’t widely accepted. “I used to see the rolling eyes in the audience—‘Silicon photonics is never going to work.’ But I stuck to my guns. My only regret is that I believed some of the critics early on. I wish I had listened only to my own voice.”
That instinct to pursue what others dismissed led not only to groundbreaking academic achievements, but also to successful ventures. Most recently, Lipson co-founded Xscape Photonics, a startup tackling performance bottlenecks in AI training using a novel multi-color photonics platform. The company recently closed nearly $100 million in Series A funding.
Lipson also shed light on the challenging process of spinning out university-based IP, especially when the institution recognizes the commercial potential. “Everything is a negotiation. The more likely your success, the harder it gets to license the IP. We did it after raising $50 million, and maybe that was a mistake—it created more friction because there was excitement.”
Reflecting on mentorship, she noted the stark contrast between her early postdoc support at MIT and the flood of unsolicited advice she encountered afterward. “I got mentorship at a critical time. After that, I got tons of mansplaining. You can tell the difference—real support feels different. I wish I had a recipe to make sure you’re getting the right kind.”
Despite progress, she noted, much work remains. “It’s still less than 10% women in the room—and that hasn’t changed in 30 years. But the difference now is that we name the problem. That visibility alone is a form of progress.”
Her closing advice? Choose a topic you believe in.
“Don’t be susceptible to what’s hot or fashionable. Ask yourself, what’s the future—and does this make sense in it? Then, go after it with everything you’ve got.”
Portfolio wins
Lidrotec (team below) raised $13.5M in Series A-2 funding to scale its fluid-cooled laser systems, designed to improve semiconductor yield and reduce damage during chip cutting.
One Silicon Chip Photonics (OSCP) released two new products: the MK2M2 IMU, an upgraded sensor optimized for drone navigation, and the MK2M2-G, which integrates GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) for enhanced absolute positioning. Both offer high-accuracy performance in challenging environments.
Photosynthetic has been awarded a €2.5M ($2.7M) EIC Accelerator grant to advance its ultra-fast, high-precision micro-3D printing technology for applications in drug delivery, microfluidics, and more.
EmGenisys closed an oversubscribed$1.5 million seed round led by Grit Road Partners. The funding will support the commercialization of its AI-powered embryo evaluation platform, EmVision, which helps improve IVF outcomes in livestock reproduction.
Circle Optics has received a $750,000 Phase II-E extension from NASA to advance development of its panoramic long-wave infrared (LWIR) imaging system. The technology supports nighttime situational awareness for autonomous aerospace applications.
Pixel Photonics has announced a partnership with Aegiq to integrate their technologies on a shared photonic platform. The collaboration combines Pixel’s waveguide-integrated detectors with Aegiq’s single-photon sources to advance scalable photonic quantum computing.
Scout Space has partnered with Blue Origin to integrate its Owl sensor on the inaugural Blue Ring mission. The collaboration will demonstrate advanced Space Domain Awareness capabilities in geostationary orbit, supporting U.S. space control efforts.
2EyesVision received the Santander X Award | Startup Universitaria 2025, recognizing university-born startups with high scientific and technological impact.
Archangel Autonomy received the AI Innovation of the Year Award at the Thames Valley Tech and Innovation Awards for its Edge-AI platform, Argonaut.
MEETOPTICS was named a finalist in the Ecommerce Awards Spain for Best Use of Generative AI for its work on Louis, an AI assistant that streamlines photonics component discovery.
QART Medical co-founder and CEO, Alon Shalev, was selected as a finalist in the GHeC 2025 Pitch Event in Osaka, Japan, where he presented the company’s AI-powered approach to improving sperm selection in IVF.
STRATIO, INC. was named one of the Top 10 Promising AI Companies by Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, and is expanding its Infrared AI operations to New York City.
Nicslab was featured in the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association’s July 2025 magazine (page 32 in the linked PDF), highlighting its role in advancing integrated photonics within the global and ASEAN semiconductor ecosystem.
Julia Somerdin, co-founder and CEO of Labby, was featured as one of Optics & Photonics News’ 10 Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2025. The interview highlights her journey from enterprise tech to agtech, and how Labby’s real-time optical milk testing is reshaping the dairy industry through smarter, data-driven decisions.
Bounce Imaging was featured in a Fortune article about In-Q-Tel’s national security investments. The story highlights how In-Q-Tel’s backing helped scale deployment of Bounce’s 360° throwable camera for use by U.S. Special Operations and a NATO ally.
Custom Surgical (below) was named Best Healthcare Startup in Europe 2025 by the EIT Health Catapult Acceleration Program at the HLTH Europe Conference in Amsterdam.
Upcoming opportunities
A Hands-On Introduction to Optics
August 4, 2025, 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM PDT
Led by Damon Diehl, this SPIE course offers an experiential intro to core optical concepts and instruments. No technical background is required. Limited to 30 attendees. Register
Commercialization Competition
Applications close August 8, 2025
Pre-seed companies working on hardware in New York State, compete for up to $150,000 in funding by demonstrating the commercialization potential of your product or technology. Learn more and apply
Battery Technician Program: Fall 2025 Cohort
Starts September 9, 2025
NENY’s Battery Academy offers a free, online training pathway in battery tech and manufacturing, with optional hands-on labs at SUNY Broome. Open to all experience levels. Apply
Save the Date: For ClimateTech Innovation Showcase
September 22–23, 2025 | Newlab, NYC
This two-day event during NYC Climate Week will feature over 35 startups from Venture and Scale For ClimateTech. Expect pitches, panels, demos, and networking.