Issuu

WHERE

POSSIBILITY IS THE MAIN EVENT

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 4:30 - 6:00 PM EDT

today’s emcee: rebecca leclair

Rebecca Leclair is a communications professional with 30 years of broadcast journalism experience in producing and anchoring local news in Rochester, NY.

For the past six years, she has served as a media consultant, producing promotional strategies for clients in retail, restaurants, and entertainment. Rebecca has also created crisis plans for corporate dissolutions and has coached business leaders and political candidates for media appearances and campaigns. She often serves as emcee for charitable events, hosts virtual conferences, and represents companies in TV commercials and radio voiceovers.

today’s program

Welcome + opening remarks

A word from our sponsor, SPIE

Cohort 8 company pitch overviews:

amPICQ

Ciconia Medical

Dottir Labs

IRIDESENSE

LirOptic Metahelios

Panel discussion with Luminate alumni on the move

Cohort 8 company pitch overviews:

Pensievision

Pixel Photonics

Oblate Optics

SNOChip

VanaM Inc.

Wyse Light

Audience choice voting

Awards

Final words

Networking + refreshments

Stick around for the SPIE Jam, starting at 7:00 PM!

Welcome, everyone

Today, we gather to celebrate not just science and innovation, but possibility. It’s all around us. It’s what drives us to dream bigger, tackle the unimaginable, and make meaningful change—not only in industry, but in people’s lives.

Possibility is the essence of Luminate. By supporting entrepreneurs who are advancing technologies in optics, photonics, and imaging, we’re helping turn bold ideas into real-world solutions—solutions that address some of our greatest global challenges. At the same time, we’re strengthening supply chains and growing advanced manufacturing capabilities right here in New York State.

The 12 finalist teams you’ll see today have been pushing boundaries to redefine what’s possible. From transforming healthcare and improving patient outcomes, to developing new materials for lenses and semiconductors, and even revealing the invisible to optimize mining and aviation—these innovators are changing the future.

As they take the stage today, they enter the next chapter of their journey, joining more than 70 companies in the Luminate portfolio that continue to break new ground. You’ll also hear from some of these alumni during our panel discussion as they share the exciting progress they’ve made.

We’re deeply grateful to SPIE for sponsoring today’s Finals, and to Empire State Development and the Finger Lakes Forward Initiative for their ongoing commitment to making Luminate NY possible.

If today sparks your curiosity—and we hope it does—stay connected by subscribing to The Lens, our monthly newsletter. It’s a great way to follow the journey of these remarkable startups and be part of a community where innovation, inspiration, and yes—possibility—take center stage.

Thank you for being here. Let’s celebrate what’s possible.

Sujatha Ramanujan, PhD Managing Director + Chief Investment Officer, Luminate

HOCHUL GOVERNOR

Dear Friends:

October 22, 2025

Thank you for attending Luminate NY finals 2025. Innovation is driving New York’s future, and for the past eight years the Luminate NY accelerator has played a key role in strengthening our position as a global leader in technology.

The companies you will meet today have come from around the world to compete for a chance to join New York’s vibrant start-up ecosystem. As the #1 state in the nation for commercializing intellectual property in the optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI) industry, there is no better place than the Finger Lakes for promising companies to accelerate the development of innovations that are transforming how we create, work, and live.

In return, Luminate NY portfolio companies are fueling economic growth across the state. Their work has already contributed over $21.6 million to our ecosystem—supporting projects with research institutions, higher education, advanced manufacturing, and other partners, all powered by the region’s unmatched workforce.

To the finalists—congratulations and best of luck. Your achievements are an inspiration, and I can’t wait to see how your ideas shape our future.

Sincerely,

Kathy Hochul Governor

KATHY

thank you to our funder

thank you to our program partners and sponsors

AIM Photonics

APOMA

Bell Collaborative

British Consulate

Cornell University

County of Monroe

Edmund Optics

Enterprise Singapore

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

Greater Rochester Enterprise

IEEE

IMAX

ISSA

AMPICQ

Tackling vulnerabilities in global data security and infrastructure

amPICQ is advancing cybersecurity by addressing the limitations of traditional cryptography in the face of growing quantum computing threats. Its core technology—miniaturized, programmable photonic integrated circuits (PICs)—powers compact, high-performance modules for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Quantum Random Number Generation (QRNG). amPICQ’s solution makes quantum-safe security practical and accessible across telecom, defense, and critical infrastructure networks, offering greater scalability, energy efficiency, and resilience compared to bulky optics systems.

Madhav Pulipati, PhD, CEO | Rochester, NY ampicq.com

IRIDESENSE

Delivering long-range, high-resolution scene analysis in 3D and color

IRIDESENSE is redefining environmental perception with a multispectral LiDAR solution that combines 3D mapping and Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) spectral analysis in a single, calibration-free system. Unlike traditional 2D cameras or standard LiDAR, IRIDESENSE’s revolutionary technology delivers real-time data on volume, distance, and material composition—even in low light—across five color channels and at ranges up to 300 meters. It’s a game-changer for safety and efficiency in industries like mining, airport surface monitoring, and other applications that require precise, real-time scene analysis.

Nadine Buard, PhD, Co-Founder & President | Paris, France iridesense.tech

LIROPTIC

Offering optical innovators unparalleled compactness, precision, and reliability

LirOptic’s adjustable solid-state lens technology delivers precise, tunable optics without mechanically moving parts—eliminating issues caused by gravity, vibration, or magnetic fields. Born from research at University College Dublin, its breakthrough solution can produce aspherical and arbitrary lens shapes with exceptional accuracy, enabling diffraction-limited imaging in a compact form factor. By shrinking the depth of Compact Camera Modules (CCMs) by over 2 mm, LirOptic achieves true optical zoom, variable focal lengths, enhanced low-light performance, and superior image quality in smartphones while supporting miniaturization in medical, extended reality, automotive, and space-based applications.

Simon Forsyth, Co-Founder & CEO | Dublin, Ireland liroptic.com

METAHELIOS

Simplifying camera chip manufacturing and enhancing image quality

Metahelios is poised to create a foundational leap for the semiconductor industry with its revolutionary approach to camera chip manufacturing. Its patented metafilter technology merges next-generation color filters and advanced pixel architecture into a seamless, unified semiconductor process—replacing an outdated, multi-step workflow while enhancing visual clarity. By eliminating process disruptions, Metahelios’ technology has the potential to save the camera chip industry $1B in annual manufacturing costs, all while providing superior quality photos for smartphone consumers.

Charles Altuzarra, PhD, Co-Founder & CEO | Glasgow, Scotland metahelios.co.uk

OBLATE OPTICS

Transforming laser systems with AI-driven, ultra-thin precision optics

Oblate Optics makes ultra-thin lenses that keep laser beams in perfect focus—even on curved or uneven surfaces—without the need to move or refocus the optics. Its AI-optimized extended-depth-of-focus (EDoF) metalenses replace bulky f-theta lenses and mechanical autofocus modules, simplifying laser engravers, cutters, and other tools to make them faster, cheaper, and more reliable. Fabricated using scalable semiconductor processes and customizable for advanced beam profiles, these lenses help manufacturers—from medical device makers to aerospace suppliers—increase throughput, reduce waste, and expand design possibilities.

Paul Herz, President & CEO | San Diego, CA oblateoptics.com

PENSIEVISION

Redefining what’s possible in diagnostics and detection

Pensievision delivers breakthrough 3D imaging by combining a miniaturized single-lens setup, artificial intelligence, and astronomyinspired optics. Unlike traditional stereoscopic systems, Pensievision’s compact design enables high-precision insights in tight or complex environments where bulky, multi-lens, or laser-based systems fail. Proprietary software corrects for misalignment and calibration issues, maintaining superior accuracy even in suboptimal conditions to minimize missed anomalies. With no moving parts and a rigid, spaceflight-tested build, it ensures exceptional reliability across the most demanding environments, from medical diagnostics, to factory floors, to orbital missions.

Tal Almog, President | San Diego, CA pensievision.com

PIXEL PHOTONICS

Unlocking scalable, high-performance single-photon detection

Pixel Photonics is removing the barriers to widespread use of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) with its waveguide-integrating design (WI-SNSPDs). These detectors combine exceptional speed, precision, and spectral range with direct integration onto photonic chips, enabling scalable, cost-effective manufacturing in commercial foundries. Compact, polarizationinsensitive, and maintenance-light, they’re ready for OEM integration across quantum communication, microscopy, medical diagnostics, and advanced sensing—applications where the highest-performing light detectors were previously impractical.

Nicolai Walter, Co-Founder & CEO | Münster, Germany pixelphotonics.com

SNOCHIP

Transforming optical systems with scalable on-chip components

SNOChip pioneers on-chip optical components—such as microlens arrays, computer-generated holograms (CGHs), and metasurfaces— designed for seamless integration with semiconductor lasers and sensor chips. Its modular nanostructures enable precise beam shaping, collimation, and intensity control, optimizing illumination and imaging performance. Demonstrated on 6-inch VCSEL wafers, SNOChip’s scalable manufacturing process supports rapid prototyping through volume production. Its inverse-designed CGHs and multifunctional metasurfaces deliver customizable, high-efficiency light manipulation across diverse applications including LiDAR, sensing, and communications.

Qing Wang, CEO | Princeton, NJ snochip.com

VANAM INC.

Bridging innovation and production with precision thin-film deposition

VanaM Inc.’s versatile thin-film deposition platform blends scientific precision with manufacturing flexibility, enabling faster and more collaborative development of complex films than traditional suppliers. Building on pioneering vanadium dioxide (VO2 ) research, VanaM designs and delivers thin films that meet customers’ exact application needs—enabling lighter, faster, and more energy-efficient devices in fast-moving sectors like quantum photonics and advanced optics. Operating in the space between academic labs and large, rigid foundries, VanaM provides full development service, from prototyping to batch production.

Sahar Ayachi, CSO | Seoul, South Korea vanam.co.kr

WYSE LIGHT

Delivering nanometric precision in reflective surface metrology

Wyse Light is redefining optical metrology with coaxial deflectometry, a patented technique that enables nanometric-precision measurement of reflective surfaces—from simple planes to complex freeforms. Unlike traditional deflectometry, this method resolves fundamental shape ambiguities without the need for surface references or computer-generated holograms (CGHs). Its vibrationinsensitive, self-calibrating system operates on standard tabletops, making it suitable for metrology labs and manufacturing floors alike. Matching interferometer accuracy with a simpler, cost-effective design, Wyse Light helps manufacturers streamline production cycles and reduce dependence on specialized metrology expertise.

Yves Surrel, PhD, Founder | Saint-Étienne, France wyse-light.com

runners up

CICONIA MEDICAL

Revolutionizing labor monitoring with AI-powered cervical measurement

Ciconia Medical is transforming labor monitoring with the first AI-based medical device designed to replace traditional vaginal exams, which are currently performed manually and often described by patients as painful, invasive, and traumatic. By offering accurate, user-independent measurements, Ciconcia provides clinicians with a safe, gentle, and objective alternative for assessing labor progress. This innovation aims to reduce unnecessary interventions, such as cesarean sections, inductions, and amniotomies, while supporting better outcomes for both mothers and babies.

Roni Cantor-Balan, Founder & CEO | San Diego, CA ciconiamedical.com

DOTTIR LABS

Transforming chemical monitoring with real-time, field-ready compact sensors

Dottir Labs leverages patented optical technology and advanced fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy to deliver real-time, reagent-free chemical analysis of water, supporting sustainable practices in food production, environmental monitoring, and industrial processes. Its compact, rugged sensor networks provide continuous, in-line monitoring of nutrients, metabolic markers, CO2 , waste products, and other compounds, without disrupting operations or requiring manual sampling. Designed for both freshwater and saltwater environments, Dottir’s scalable systems deliver high-sensitivity data that adapts over time through machine learning, empowering industries from aquaculture to advanced manufacturing with actionable chemical visibility for smarter, more sustainable operations.

Nili Persits, PhD, Founder & CEO | Somerville, MA dottirlabs.com

momentum: founders + industry leaders on the move

Guest Speakers

Sujatha Ramanujan, PhD, Moderator

Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer, Luminate

With more than 25 years experience in clinical devices and consumer electronics, Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan has launched startups and led global product teams at Kodak and Carestream. She holds 28 U.S. patents and continues to advise investors and emerging companies worldwide.

Francisco Aguilar

CEO & Founder, Bounce Imaging, Luminate cohort 1

Guided by a mission to protect those in high-risk environments, Francisco Aguilar has spent over a decade advancing imaging and robotics solutions now trusted by first responders and defense teams worldwide. Bounce Imaging builds 360-degree tactical camera systems used by more than 450 agencies—including the FBI, U.S. Marshals, and elite Department of Defense units—to improve safety in the most challenging environments.

Chuck Gershman

CEO & Co-Founder, Owl Autonomous Imaging, Luminate cohort 4

A serial entrepreneur and technology leader, Chuck Gershman has built and scaled companies at the intersection of AI, semiconductors, and imaging, with multiple successful exits and over $200M in capital raised. Owl AI is developing HD thermal image sensors and computer vision software to improve visibility and enhance pedestrian safety in all conditions.

Juniyali Nauriyal, PhD

CEO & Co-Founder, Photonect Interconnect Solutions, Luminate cohort 6

An optics PhD from the University of Rochester, Juniyali Nauriyal transformed her research in integrated photonics into eight patents, federal funding, and a company now tackling one of the industry’s toughest challenges. Photonect Interconnect Solutions is revolutionizing fiber-tochip connections with a laser-based technique that improves performance fourfold, speeds production tenfold, and cuts costs in half—transforming efficiency for data centers worldwide.

WHERE BOLD IDEAS FIND THEIR LIGHT

Curiosity sparks innovation—and Luminate helps it shine. As the world’s only accelerator for startups leveraging optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI), Luminate connects visionary founders with a powerful network of scientists, manufacturers, investors, and mentors to turn possibility into reality.

Each year, startups from around the globe join the program with $100,000 in initial funding and the chance to compete for a piece of $2 million in follow-on investment. Along the way, they gain access to 50+ expert-led workshops, hands-on guidance from industry leaders, and connections that last long after the program ends.

We’re looking for cohort 9. If your technology relies on light, Luminate is where your idea takes center stage.

Apply by January 12, 2026 at luminate.org.

Luminate is a 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

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 & President, Optikos Corporation

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

David Heller CEO, Heller Industries

Michael Jackman CEO, Leidos Health Group

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

Paul Pickering Managing Partner, Silicon Catalyst

Ryne P. Raffaelle, PhD Vice President for Research & Associate Provost at RIT

Darius Sankey, PhD Managing Director, Innovation Acceleration Capital

James S. Senall President, NextCorps

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

Erik Stover President & CEO, TRIOPTICS USA

Marc Tricard VP & General Manager of Optical Solutions Business, MKS Instruments

Edward White Principal, Edward White Consulting; NYS Photonics Board Governor Appointee

Luminate Accelerator

LuminateAccelerator nextcorps

Get more information at luminate.org