Luminate NY, the world’s largest optics, photonics, and imaging accelerator, today announced the finalists who are set to compete in the Lightning Awards in Rochester in November. The selected finalists will pitch their startups to the final selection committee at the event. Following those presentations, 10 teams will be given a spot in the accelerator, awarded $100,000 each and will get the chance at over $1,000,000 of follow-on funding.
On down selecting from over 100 applications, Luminate NY Managing Director Sujatha Ramanujan said, “The task of selecting companies to participate was extremely challenging as the quality of the applicants was outstanding. As such, we expanded the list past the original 20. We hope that applicants that were not chosen this year will consider applying in the following year.”
The following companies have been named as finalists (in random order):
In the fields of Photonic Devices, Lasers, Materials and Display:
- Arovia, Inc., Houston, TX, US
- Molecular Glasses, Inc., Rochester, NY, US
- MagAssemble, LLC, Columbia, SC, US
- Dimensional Energy Rochester, NY, US
- Mosaic Microsystems LLC Rochester, NY, US
- Lumotune Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Chromacity Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- POSPEA Rochester, NY, US
- SelfArray Troy, NY, US
- Sonioptix LLC Amherst, NY, US
In the fields of Spectroscopy and Medical Devices:
- Multicore Photonics Oviedo, Florida
- Visikol Inc North Brunswick, NJ
- Misceo Grand Technology,Inc San Jose,CA
- Intelon Optics, Inc. Boston, MA
- Accuret LLC Rochester, NY
- Persistence Data Mining, Inc. Mount Aurburn,IL
- LighTopTech Corp. Rochester, NY
In Augmented and Virtual Reality, Sensors, Instrumentation, Image Recognition:
- Bounce Imaging Boston, MA, USA
- SphereVis LLC Philadelphia, PA, US
- Double Helix LLC Boulder, CO, USA
- Think Biosolution Dublin, Ireland
- Maverick Photonics, LLC Rochester, NY, US
- MotionSavvy Rochester, NY, US
- Positive Science Rochester, NY, US
- Tarsier Optics, Inc. Baltimore, MD, US
- Lumenora San Francisco, CA, US
The Lightning Awards is a free event open to the public on Wednesday, November 8, 2017, and being held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel from 4:00-6:30pm. The event showcases the 25 teams, as well as speakers such as Paul Singh, noted entrepreneur and investor, visiting Rochester as part of his North American Tech Tour.
Luminate NY, a program run by High Tech Rochester and funded by Empire State Development with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, is launching their first cohort of 10 companies in January 2018, at the newly renovated Sibley Building in downtown Rochester. The 6-month program takes optics, photonics, and imaging startups and accelerates their commercialization. At the end of the program, teams compete at Demo Day, vying for over $2,000,000 in follow-on funding.
“By supporting the growth of these promising new photonics companies, Luminate NY will build on the economic momentum that is positioning Rochester as the global leader in the photonics industry,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “This strategic investment will reinforce our efforts to move the Finger Lakes Forward by helping to drive economic growth in the region for years to come.”
Accelerating Finger Lakes Forward
Today’s announcement complements “Finger Lakes Forward,” the region’s comprehensive blueprint to generate robust economic growth and community development. The State has already invested more than $5.2 billion in the region since 2012 to lay the groundwork for the plan – investing in key industries including photonics, agriculture and food production, and advanced manufacturing. Today, unemployment is down to the lowest levels since before the Great Recession; personal and corporate income taxes are down; and businesses are choosing places like Rochester, Batavia and Canandaigua as a destination to grow and invest in. Now, the region is accelerating Finger Lakes Forward with a $500 million State investment through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, announced by Governor Cuomo in December 2015. The State’s $500 million investment will incentivize private business to invest well over $2.5 billion – and the region’s plan, as submitted, projects up to 8,200 new jobs. More information is available here.
