Luminate Finals 2023

today’s emcee: alexis arnold

Formerly of 13WHAM ABC, Alexis Arnold recently started her new career with Avangrid, the parent company of RG&E and NYSEG, in December 2022. After nearly 17 years in the TV news industry, Alexis felt it was time for a change. She currently serves as the company’s New York communications manager. The new role not only allows her more time to balance family life but allows more opportunities to engage with the community she has grown to love and now calls home. She currently serves on the Pirate Toy Fund Board, 13Thirty Cancer Connect Board, and recently became a Rotary member. Although no longer in front of the camera, she’s still naturally curious and you can always find her asking questions and engaging in conversation.

today’s program

Welcome + Opening Remarks

A Word from Our Sponsor, Optica

Cohort 6 Company Pitch Overviews:

AquaRealTime

Digiteyez

NanoPattern Technologies, Inc.

Norcon Technologies

Oculi

Keynote Discussion with Dr. Pulakesh Mukherjee

Cohort 6 Company Pitch Overviews:

Photonect Interconnect Solutions

PlanOpSim

QART Medical

Quantune Technologies

Swave Photonics

Audience Choice Voting

Awards

Final Words

trailblazers harnessing the power of optics, photonics, and imaging in revolutionary ways. The teams of cohort 6 have solutions that are destined to transform life as we know it—from the way we deliver eye care, to how we protect our waterways, to the speed at which we design and build smart products.

During today’s event, you’ll get to know these teams and brilliant new capabilities coming to artificial intelligence, manufacturing, augmented reality, and other industries. We’re also thrilled to share the insights of Dr. Pulakesh Mukherjee, Managing Partner at Imperative Ventures, who has spent years advising early-stage tech companies, and sourcing and executing investments in the energy, agriculture, chemical, and industrial sectors.

Thank you to Optica for sponsoring Finals for four years in a row! We’re grateful for our continued partnership with the leading society for scientists, engineers, students, and everyone interested in the science of light.

Founders take the last step in their six-month journey with Luminate today. We’ll reveal which teams are taking home a piece of $2 million in follow-on funding, and you’ll get to vote to determine who wins the Audience Choice Award, plus $10,000 cash!

Forward Initiative to elevate our leadership as the optics capital of the world.

To all those who carry the spark of innovation within you, it’s time to stoke the fires. Go forth and set the world aflame with your vision and ideas.

Get ready for a brilliant show!

Sincerely,

Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan Managing Director, Luminate

Dear Friends:

September 27, 2023

September 13, 2023

Thank you for participating in the 2023 Luminate NY Finals!

Luminate is an excellent example of New York's innovative spirit. It is a testament to how our Finger Lakes Forward (FLXFWD) Upstate Revitalization Initiative is reinforcing the region’s position as a global leader in optics, photonics, and imaging. This $500 million initiative has aimed to catalyze over $2.5 billion in private sector contributions since 2015, helping to fuel jobs and economic growth.

Since its launch six years ago, Luminate NY has become a beacon of technological advancement and is now recognized internationally. Earlier this year, 120 companies competed for a spot in the competition’s sixth cohort, with one third of applicants coming from outside the U.S. This global interest is evidence of New York State’s status as a hub of benchmark research, with esteemed higher education institutions, advanced manufacturing, top-tier talent, and invaluable resources that provide a fast track for business growth.

Companies in its portfolio, many of whom are establishing or expanding operations in the Rochester region while conducting research and growing their teams, boast an estimated collective valuation of $650 million and have raised an impressive $194.7 million to scale their ventures. Luminate had its first exits this past year, and I’m confident more success stories lie ahead.

To all of this year’s finalists, I extend my best wishes for the journey before you. Your accomplishments are both inspiring and integral to shaping our future. Thank you for being part of Rochester’s journey to become the next top tech hub in the country.

Sincerely,

Governor

KATHY HOCHUL GOVERNOR

thank you to our program partners and sponsors

AIM Photonics

Cornell

County of Monroe

Greater Rochester Enterprise

IEEE

IMAX

Hamamatsu Ventures

Mitsubishi

Monroe Community College

New York Photonics

Optica

Qubits Ventures

Rochester Chamber of Commerce

Rochester Institute of Technology

SCHOTT

Silicon Catalyst

Sony

SPIE

Thor Labs

University of Rochester

Zeiss

Congratulations to Luminate on another successful Startup Accelerator Finals Competition. Luminate understands the challenges startup companies face in scaling operations, entering new markets, managing cash flow, and more. Luminate’s impact on nurturing and funding early-stage photonics companies cannot be overstated.

Optica is honored to be a sponsor for this event, as it perfectly aligns with our core mission to support photonics companies throughout every stage of their growth journey. We are also dedicated to assisting companies on an ongoing basis through the Optica Corporate Engagement program, which provides members with an Optica Technical Director who partners with each company to customize our resources around their goals, needs, and interests. Market reports from top-tier analysts, facilitated networking opportunities, a year-round schedule of online and in-person events, promotional opportunities, and unique talent recruitment tools are just a sample of what we deliver to companies of all sizes around the globe.

As these outstanding finalists prepare to take the next steps in their entrepreneurial journeys, we extend our best wishes to each and every one of them. We look forward to supporting them, their continued success, and their contributions to the world of photonics.

Sincerely,

Liz Rogan Optica CEO

luminate cohort 6

aquarealtime digiteyez nanopattern technologies

norcon technologies

oculi photonect interconnect solutions

planopsim qart medical quantune technologies

swave photonics

AQUAREALTIME

Advancing global water sustainability through informed decisions

AquaRealTime (ART) stands at the forefront of environmental protection. As water quality deteriorates rapidly around the world, causing $50 billion of damage annually, ART’s AlgaeTracker provides a simple, scalable solution for critical early warning and monitoring of harmful algae blooms and pollutants in vast water assets. The all-in-one system is turnkey, from the water to the cloud. By combining all hardware, software, and cellular connection into a streamlined unit, AlgaeTrackers can be deployed in 30 minutes, giving stakeholders a 24/7 lens into all their water assets in one central location.

Christopher Lee, CEO | Boulder, Colorado aquarealtime.com

DIGITEYEZ

Digitizing the vision industry to deliver eyecare on demand

Digiteyez has developed Clear, a quick and easy online eye test that customers can take anywhere, from any device. Digiteyez’s patented platform and eye models capture three times more indicators about human vision than traditional tests, indicators that not only track sight progression accurately, but also predict vision decline and detect eye diseases early. Digiteyez’s approach merges optical physics, visual science, digital optometry, and AI to deliver precise and affordable eye test results, giving optical professionals an efficient tool for remote eyecare management. This blend of technology and human expertise is set to transform eyecare into a comprehensive, accessible model and create a new standard for the future of vision health, while simultaneously powering growth and increased revenues for the eyewear sector.

Brandon Zimmerman, CEO | Washington, District of Columbia cleareyetest.com

NANOPATTERN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Shaping tomorrow’s screens today

NanoPattern Technologies is transforming display manufacturing with its patented chemistry and quantum dot ink. Imagine a world where your smartphone or smartwatch could last a month on a single battery charge. Display manufacturers are able to make versions of these energy-efficient displays for low-resolution devices like TVs but not for portable devices like smartphones and wearables. NanoPattern empowers display manufacturers to create high-resolution screens with enhanced sustainability, catering to the needs of smartphones, wearables, and AR/VR applications. Smartwatches enabled by NanoPattern’s technology can last 30 days on a single charge, thanks to the extreme energy efficiency.

Yu Kambe, CEO | Chicago, Illinois nanopatterntechnologies.com

NORCON TECHNOLOGIES

Making 3D mapping faster, more accurate, and less expensive

Norcon Technologies’ optics make 3D depth imagers more powerful with components that multiply their performance, dramatically reducing size, cost, and weight. Depth imaging sensors—such as 3D scanners and LiDARs—are used in applications such as mapping interior spaces, eye tracking, facial recognition, autonomous navigation, and industrial security. Norcon’s breakthrough solution solves a key challenge in depth imaging—the need for lenses and other optical components that are optimized for the infrared spectrum in which these sensors actually operate. Compared to current optics, depth imagers using Norcon’s components scan faster and detect further, while being smaller, less expensive, and lighter. These benefits are propelling the industry towards greater accessibility, ease of use, and affordability.

Jay Liebowitz, CEO | Tucson, Arizona norcontech.com

OCULI

Putting the eye in AI

Oculi is redefining computer and machine vision with the world’s first smart programmable vision sensor, the Oculi SPU™ (Sensing and Processing Unit). It combines the efficiency of biology—more specifically the human eye—and the speed of machines to make computer vision faster and more efficient. By embedding intelligence in the sensor at the pixel level, the innovative chip has the power to transform smart devices across homes, offices, and vehicles. Its integrated sensing and processing module minimizes data transmission, slashing power consumption and latency. Operating 30 times faster while ensuring privacy, security, and budget efficiency, Oculi’s SPU is ideal for visual intelligence at the edge, such as gesture tracking, facial recognition, and low-latency eye-tracking.

Charbel Rizk, CEO | Baltimore, Maryland

oculi.ai

PHOTONECT INTERCONNECT SOLUTIONS

Upending a glue-based market with laser technology

Photonect is reshaping the future of optical fiber to photonic chip connections. Within each optical transceiver, an optical fiber the size of a single human hair must be attached to a photonic chip. The razor-thin size of an optical fiber makes it difficult to precisely connect it to a chip and improper placement reduces its performance and increases power consumption. Photonect’s innovative technique replaces traditional glue with lasers to solve a key problem—connection accuracy and efficiency. The technique can significantly lower data centers’ power consumption at half the cost and 10 times the speed of glue-based adhesion methods, while increasing signal performance 4x.

Juniyali

Nauriyal, CEO | Rochester, New York photonectcorp.com

PLANOPSIM

Ushering in the age of meta-surfaces

PlanOpSim is helping R&D teams solve complicated design and integration problems by providing a single workflow design software for planar and meta-optics. The team’s expertise in numerical modeling led to the development of groundbreaking software that streamlines the design of meta-lenses. Most traditional lens designs use a convex or concave shape to focus or expand the light beam. Because of this, traditional lenses are often bulky, and heavy parts in a world looking for ever smaller devices don’t match with our changing needs. Meta-lenses are tiny optical elements composed of artificial antennas that can manipulate light—just like traditional lenses—but are thinner than a sheet of paper. PlanOpSim’s software empowers engineers and scientists to navigate this arena with precision, unlocking the true potential of meta-lenses.

Lieven Penninck, CEO | Melle, Belgium planopsim.com

QART MEDICAL

Enabling highly informed sperm selection to dramatically improve IVF success

QART Medical’s breakthrough product is positioned to reshape the practice of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) by providing embryologists with deep, objective, and quantitative information into individual sperm cells that are to be injected into the oocytes (eggs). With proprietary holographic imaging, machine vision, and cutting-edge image processing algorithms, QART characterizes the properties of individual sperm cells relative to consensus world-health-organization criteria in real-time. This is evidence-based medicine in male fertility, at its best.

Alon Shalev, CEO | Raanana, Israel qart-medical.com

QUANTUNE TECHNOLOGIES

Democratizing mid-infrared spectroscopy to bring lab-grade analytics to everyday life

Quantune is commercializing the world’s first chip-sized laser spectrometer, operating in the mid-infrared spectral range known as the “molecular fingerprint region.” This technology miniaturizes large laboratory equipment for molecular analysis into a compact, accessible module that allows for novel applications beyond the confines of a lab. In the context of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), it enables real-time monitoring and analysis of chemical compounds and emissions, allowing for proactive optimization of industrial processes, reducing downtime, and enhancing efficiency. In healthcare, another key application, the compact spectrometer enables non-invasive monitoring of molecular biomarkers through the skin with exceptional sensitivity. It has the potential to shift healthcare from a reactive to a proactive model, empowering individuals and caregivers to take preventive measures for better health outcomes.

Nikolaus Hahne, Jan Kischkat, co-CEOs | Berlin, Germany

quantune.com

SWAVE PHOTONICS

Breathing life into augmented reality with true holographic displays

Swave Photonics is transforming how augmented and virtual reality are experienced. Pioneers of the world’s first dynamic holographic display chip, Swave is able to manipulate billions of pixels, allowing for the creation of digital holograms while dramatically reducing the complexity, cost, and discomfort with existing solutions. Its Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR) technology, fabricated with standard semiconductor processes, provides ultra-high-resolution 3D images that blur the lines between the real and virtual worlds. With an innovative approach that empowers mobile device and display manufacturers, alongside visionary content creators, Swave is reshaping the landscape of display, entertainment, and communication markets.

Mike Noonen, CEO | Leuven, Belgium swave.io

honorable mentions

Two companies participated in Luminate in 2023 to gain access to regional resources. While they are not eligible to compete in Finals 2023, their program involvement and contributions deserve recognition.

ARCHANGEL IMAGING

Elevating protection through intelligent collaboration

Archangel Imaging deploys smart machines alongside people to protect valuable remote assets and vulnerable personnel even in the most remote and demanding environments. Navigating remote operations can be a difficult task, whether it involves operating drone patrols across marine reserves, or monitoring static energy installations. The success lies in the efficacy of the underlying infrastructure orchestrating responsive actions. While modern machines largely serve as tools, Archangel Imaging redefines their role, offering a comprehensive range of software and hardware solutions that enable machines to be reliable teammates.

Dan Sola, CEO | Oxford England; Syracuse, NY archangel.im

LABBY INC.

Empowering dairy farms with real-time milk insights for healthier herds

Labby is leading a transformation in the milk testing landscape. The dairy sector has traditionally relied on milk testing to ensure milk quality, animal well-being, and farm profitability. Yet, the traditional lab-centric testing technologies are slow and infrequent, leading to delayed detection of animal diseases, decreased milk yield production, and a rise in antibiotic use. Labby offers a swift and precise on-farm milk testing solution, employing cutting-edge hardware, proprietary software, and AI technology. The system leverages non-invasive optical spectroscopy to analyze the interactions between light and milk at a molecular level, enabling real-time quantification of milk fat, protein, and cell count information. Such reliable and accurate readings ensure that only the highest quality milk reaches the market, thereby maintaining the dairy’s reputation and bolstering consumer trust.

Julia Somerdin, CEO | Cambridge, Massachusetts labbyinc.com

guest speaker

Luminate NY is pleased to welcome Dr. Pulakesh Mukherjee!

Dr. Pulakesh Mukherjee is Managing Partner at Imperative Ventures. Before Imperative, Pulakesh spent ten years at BASF Venture Capital sourcing and executing investments in the energy, agriculture, chemical, and industrial sectors. During that time he served as a director or observer on the boards of early-stage technology companies.

Prior to his role in venture capital, Pulakesh gained over ten years of experience in international business development, sales, marketing, and chemical process scale-up while working at BASF. He serves on the NREL Investor Advisory Board and the Venture For ClimateTech Advisory Board, and is an advisor and mentor at Cyclotron Road and Creative Destruction Lab.

Mukherjee has a PhD from Stanford University and a M.Sc. from IIT Kanpur, India. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and has co-authored more than 15 patents.

GOOD IDEAS CAN BE BORN ANYWHERE. BUT MOST REQUIRE A SPECIAL PLACE TO TAKE OFF.

As the world’s largest accelerator for startups working on optics-, photonics-, and imaging-enabled applications (OPI), Luminate offers an incomparable environment for growth. Nestled in the middle of the Finger Lakes Region —long recognized as the imaging capital of the world—Luminate taps into an ecosystem rich with scientists, universities, precision manufacturers, and investors to help companies speed the commercialization of their ideas.

Each year, Luminate accepts 10 companies into the program, and provides them with $100,000 in funding and the chance to compete later for up to $2 million. This opportunity also comes with comprehensive support, from mentors seasoned in OPI and how to run a business, to access to labs, investors, and regional resources.

To get here, apply by January 8, 2024 at luminate.org/apply

Luminate is a $45 million competitive program funded by Empire State Development’s Finger Lakes Forward Initiative. The program is administered by NextCorps, and supported by a host of participating partners.

Since joining Luminate, we have raised over $5M in new funding. The program has been instrumental in our growth.”

DIMITRI CHERNYAK, CEO, INTELON OPTICS COHORT 1 $500K RECIPIENT

If you’re working on an innovation that uses optics, photonics, or imaging (OPI) to bring new capabilities to industries such as biophotonics, augmented and virtual reality, quantum, autonomous vehicles, machine vision, and other related fields, Luminate can help you scale your business and your technology.

Join us for an info session to hear about the comprehensive support we provide and how founders are benefitting from the accelerator, including:

- $100,000 at acceptance, plus a chance to compete for up to $2 million in follow-on funding

- Access to investors, mentors, and the global OPI ecosystem for additional capital and support

- A peer-learning environment and robust curriculum to help you scale your business

Learn more and register at luminate.org/cohort-7-info-sessions

regional programs that help startups move forward faster

NextCorps is located at the center of Rochester, in the region’s Innovation Zone. As a nonprofit that helps innovative technology companies launch and grow, NextCorps offers a suite of services, including technology commercialization for early-stage opportunities, business incubation for high-growth-potential startups, and growth services for manufacturing companies seeking to improve their top-and bottom-line performance. This includes international programs such as Luminate, Venture For ClimateTech, and Scale For ClimateTech, and regional programs like the Embark software accelerator.

Explore how NextCorps can help your company. Visit nextcorps.org.

thank you to our advisory board

Thomas G. Brown, PhD, Director, Institute of Optics

Jenifer Bunis, Principal, Westlake Photonics

Milton Chang, PhD, Managing Partner, Incubic Management

Stu Elby, PhD, SVP, Advanced Engineering at Madison Square Garden Ventures

Stephen D. Fantone, PhD, Founder and President, Optikos Corporation

Don Golini, Founder, SANICA Ventures and Chairman of the Board, Luminate Accelerator

Michael Jackman, Chief Operating Officer, Leidos Health Group

Jay Kumler, President, Jenoptik Optical Systems

Duncan Moore, PhD, Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship, University of Rochester

Paul Pickering, Managing Partner, Silicon Catalyst

Ryne P. Raffaelle, PhD, Vice President for Research and Associate Provost at Rochester Institute of Technology

Darius Sankey, PhD, Managing Director, Innovation Acceleration Capital

James S. Senall, President, NextCorps

Linda Smith, ASA, President, CERES Technology Advisors, Inc.

Marc Tricard, Vice President and General Manager of Optical Solutions Businesses, MKS Instruments

Edward White, NYS Photonics Board Governor Appointee

a tribute to jay m. eastman

1948 – 2023

As we sit here today celebrating the accomplishments of our innovators, one seat will be noticeably empty. That’s because Luminate, the Rochester community, and the entire optics, photonics, and imaging industry lost an amazing engineer, educator, entrepreneur, and friend on April 20, 2023 with the passing of Jay Eastman.

Those who knew Jay marveled at his brilliance, humility, and selflessness— a rare combination that left an impact on many individuals and organizations around the world.

“Jay was a friend, mentor, and one of the most generous people I have ever worked with,” shares Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan, Managing Director at Luminate. “He gave his time and extensive talent to support Luminate teams, and he was completely committed to helping them succeed.”

This level of dedication was born out of Jay’s passion for both business and innovation. After earning his PhD in optical engineering from the University of Rochester, he relocated to Mt. View, California for a time. But his ties to Rochester were strong. He later returned to manage the engineering division of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester, where he subsequently became the lab’s Director. Jay was also an avid educator at the university, teaching classes in entrepreneurship, product development, and technical management within the Kaufmann Entrepreneurship BS program and the Technical Engineering and Management MS program at the Institute of Optics and the Simon School of Business.

During his career, Jay founded three companies and was an inventor or coinventor on 48 issued U.S. patents. Outside of work, Jay was on the Board of Directors of The National Women’s Hall of Fame, and an active member of Optica, SPIE, and the Rochester Engineering Society. Through the years, he was recognized for his many contributions, including becoming a recipient of the Leo H. East Memorial Engineer of the Year Award, RIT’s Vanden Bruhl Entrepreneurial Award, and the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster Leadership Award.

Jay’s legacy will live on through his family, colleagues, and friends, as well as through everyone working in The Jay Eastman Optics and Electronics Lab at Luminate.