Opdo raises $2.3M for AI optical engineering
The Los Angeles-based startup is developing AI-driven optical design tools that connect simulation with real-world manufacturing data to accelerate component development.
Opdo, an AI-native optical engineering company, has raised $2.3 million in pre-seed funding to advance the automation of optical engineering, from initial design to finished components.
The funding round was led by Angular Ventures, with participation from Inflection and Tiny.vc. The investment will support the expansion of Opdo's engineering capabilities, development of its AI tools and delivery of additional customer projects.
Opdo is developing a self-improving system that combines AI-driven optical design and simulation with manufacturing and testing data. The company reports that its approach has reduced end-to-end development and manufacturing cycles from months to weeks.
The technology operates within established optical design software, including Zemax and CODE V, enabling engineers to accelerate design and verification workflows without replacing existing tools.
Opdo also provides specialist engineering expertise and offers customers access to prototype and finished optical components.
A key feature of the platform is its ability to incorporate data from manufactured and tested components into AI models, helping improve subsequent designs and bridge the gap between digital simulation and physical production.
The company's customer projects span laser and imaging systems, micro-optics and nanostructured surfaces, with potential applications across quantum computing, aerospace, advanced sensing and augmented and virtual reality.
“Every hardware team we talk to has an optics problem waiting in line. The engineers who can solve it are scarce, and the tools were built for a different era,” said Stephan Kuehr, co-founder and CEO of Opdo.
Founded by Kuehr and CTO Yousef Arzhangnia, Opdo brings together expertise in optical engineering, manufacturing, artificial intelligence and automation.
The investment highlights growing interest in AI-assisted optical engineering as companies seek to address specialist skills shortages, shorten development cycles and accelerate the transition from optical design to manufacturing.
