First launched in 2008, Invest in Photonics focuses on providing venture capitalists with a clear perspective on the most innovative, reliable, and profitable market opportunities in photonics (light-based technologies).
The selected companies represent an innovative pan-European group of businesses. They come from Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, and Hungary, and include five companies from Germany and five from France. Their goal is to improve their chances of securing a total investment of €70 million.
The entrepreneurs will be seeking different levels of funding. The funding will be used to support research and development, sales and marketing development, market entry, or to strengthen the business networks of photonics startups.
"There are 20 exciting investment opportunities in optical communications, sensing, biophotonics, imaging, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing for the venture capital community to consider investing in photonics this year," said Thierry Thévenin, head of the Invest in Photonics organizing committee. The
projects range from skin diagnostics and cell analysis to 3D optical printing and smart LED lighting. They cover a graphene-based hybrid semiconductor material that could potentially replace silicon. The projects also include a bright light therapy treatment. This treatment involves a light-emitting headset that channels light through the ear canal to the photosensitive parts of the brain to alleviate SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or help people recover from depression. The light-emitting headset is in an advanced stage of development and is already available on Amazon.
The companies selected for the special funding session are: Actlight (CH), Aledia (FR), Aurea Tecnologia (FR), Azur Light Systems (FR), Class 5 Photonics (DE), Crayonano (NO), Domo Helios (FR), Effect Photonics (NL), Holografika (HU), Ideas (NO), LED linear (DE), LUXeXceL (NL), Medlumics (SP), Multiphoton Optics (DE), Sicoya (DE), Sunna Design (FR), Sxt-co (IE), Valkee (FI), Volatiles, and Voptica (SP).
Each candidate will present their investment opportunity in five minutes, followed by a two-minute question and answer session.
To participate in the special funding session, the selection committee requires companies to demonstrate:
- A genuine market opportunity
- A unique value proposition that shows venture capitalists the company's ability to penetrate a market
- The ability to outperform the competition based on unique differentiation
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