Startups selected for Luminate NY accelerator announced
Ten startups working on optics, photonics, and imaging technologies, including integrated photonics, will take part in the seventh round of the accelerator programme
Empire State Development (ESD) has announced the 10 companies selected to take part in round seven of Luminate NY – an accelerator programme for startup companies working on optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI) enabled technologies.
According to ESD, a total of 137 applications from 25 different countries were received for consideration, and the companies were selected after pitching their innovative ideas and being scored by an advisory panel of industry experts. Each finalist will receive an initial investment of $100,000 and will have the chance to compete for up to $2 million in follow-on funding upon completion of the programme. The cohort began on 8 April 2024, and will conclude in late September.
Hope Knight, president, CEO, and commissioner of ESD, said: “Congratulations to the latest entrepreneurial companies selected to take part in Luminate NY’s seventh cohort. The cutting-edge ideas from these optics, photonics and imaging startups will help to drive innovation and opportunities in the Finger Lakes Region, renowned globally as an OPI industry leader, and throughout New York State.”
The six-month programme is designed to help founders improve their investor readiness and connect them with OPI resources throughout the Finger Lakes Region that can help them speed the commercialisation of their technologies.
Cohort seven is solving challenges within a number of industries, including, but not limited to: augmented/virtual reality, communications, life sciences, material science, and quantum. The cohort includes startups using integrated photonics, such as Nicslab, a fabless chip company developing electronics and PICs for future optical solutions in datacentres, AI, instrumentation, and quantum computing.
As well as Nicslab, the startups in cohort seven are: AI Optics, Inc., CureVision, Enlipsium, iLoF (Intelligent Lab on Fiber), Photosynthetic, Q-Block Computing, SaferStreet Solutions, SeeTrue Technologies, and VoxelSensors.
Luminate NY Managing Director Sujatha Ramanujan said: “Each company in cohort seven is bringing new capabilities to industry to change the way we solve pressing challenges, as well as new opportunities for the universities, supply chain partners, manufacturers, and investors here that are eager to collaborate in helping them advance their businesses and technologies.”
