ROCHESTER, N.Y.
$25 Million Luminate NY Initiative Continues to Bring the Best Startups with Optics, Photonics, and Imaging Technologies to the Finger Lakes Region to Tap World Class Resources and Grow the Economy
Luminate NY supports innovators as they further develop their technologies in Rochester with help from industry experts, businesses, and local universities. This cohort is solving challenges within a number of industries, including, but not limited to: augmented and virtual reality, healthcare, agtech, architecture/buildings, optics, and autonomous systems, imaging, and vehicles. The accelerator competition will require that the winners commit to establishing operations in Rochester for at least 18 months.
The 10 selected startups include:
- Andluca Technologies—UV-solar-powered smart glass for improving the energy efficiency of buildings
- Dynocardia Inc.—First non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) method that measures BP continuously and with accuracy compared to the gold standard
- Infrascreen SA—Nanotech solutions for better climate control in greenhouses
- Layer Metrics Inc.—Monitoring system that enables intelligent 3D printing
- Mesodyne—Ultra-high, energy-density compact power generators that increase the endurance of small autonomous systems by 10x over batteries alone
- Momentum Optics—High-quality, affordable, and rapidly delivered custom optics
- OSCPs Motion Sensing Inc.—Inertial navigation sensors for autonomous vehicles
- Owl Autonomous Imaging— World’s only 3D Thermal Ranger™, providing HD imaging and precision ranging that is a 150x improvement in resolution and cloud density of LiDAR
- PreAct Technologies—Sensors and software that make it possible to angle car seats away, deploy airbags earlier, and raise the car suspension before the impact of a crash occurs to save lives
- 2EyesVision—First technology that allows people to quickly and accurately compare the different corrections available for presbyopia
Additional companies will take part in the program out of the finalist structure. Far UV Technologies, Inc., Qunnect, and Intelon Optics are joining the accelerator to gain access to regional resources, and XR Nanotech and IRIS Light Technology will be auditing the program to help prepare and advance their businesses for applying to accelerator programs in the future.
Luminate NY Managing Director Sujatha Ramanujan said, “The companies selected have the potential to truly disrupt their categories. With access to our renowned regional resources, mentors, and investor network, we’ll help them speed the commercialization of their offerings so that they can have a meaningful impact on our world and on our regional community.”
Since its inception, Luminate has invested $7.15 million in 30 startups. The companies in the portfolio have raised an additional $26 million and now share a net worth of $160 million. Many of companies that have taken part in previous rounds of the competition have established U.S. operations or some aspect of research and manufacturing in the Rochester region—which continues to be the epicenter of the OPI industry in North America. This has resulted in the creation of 80 new jobs in the region, and an additional 25 jobs supported through contract manufacturing.