Photonics start-ups driving Europe’s innovation surge
Europe’s photonics start-up scene is booming, with 240 new companies identified since 2024, bringing the total to 556 active firms, according to new data from Photonics21. The European Technology Platform’s updated database highlights start-ups developing technologies that tackle major societal challenges, from life-saving medical diagnostics and surgical tools to quantum communication chips, precision climate and energy sensors, and lasers powering advanced manufacturing.
Healthcare remains the leading sector, with one in five start-ups focused on medical applications such as cancer diagnostics, surgical imaging, and personalised medicine. Other key sectors include components and advanced materials (16 percent) and Industry 4.0 (14 percent), where photonics supports automation, robotics, and digital factories.
Berlin-based start-up DiaMonTech exemplifies the impact of these innovations. Founded in 2015, the company has developed a non-invasive glucose monitoring device using mid-infrared light, offering a pain-free alternative for millions of diabetes patients across Europe. Catalina Plesmann, Head of Marketing, said, “Our technology uses light instead of needles to make glucose monitoring completely pain-free. Europe is where our science was born and where we want to scale.”
Dr Lutz Aschke, President of Photonics21, said the growth reflects a dynamic and young ecosystem, with 35 percent of firms founded since 2020 and 84 percent under ten years old. He added that connecting founders with investors remains crucial to help these companies scale within Europe rather than overseas.
Photonics21 supports this through initiatives like Tech Tour Photonics, where EU-based entrepreneurs pitch directly to international investors. This year, 77 companies were evaluated, and 39 were selected to present, highlighting the pipeline of investment-ready photonics ventures emerging across Europe.
Europe’s photonics industry, currently valued at €124.6 billion, employs over 430,000 people and is projected to reach €175 billion by 2027, reinforcing the continent’s position as a global leader in photonics innovation across AI, quantum, health, green energy, and secure communications.
