Best Photonics Companies in China
The 152 best Photonics companies in China in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: San’an Optoelectronics.
Tracking the best Photonics companies in China by disclosed equity funding gives you a real answer to a deceptively simple question: where is the capital actually going? Across 152 companies in our directory, total disclosed funding hits $2.1B, and the spread is dramatic. Hesai Technology leads at $599M, Surestar follows at $180M, and Lumispot Tech has pulled in $92M. That's a lot of weight concentrated at the top. Silicon photonics fabrication and photonics devices are the hot themes right now, and the global market backs the momentum, forecast to grow from roughly $911.5B toward $1,600B by 2033 at a 6.11% CAGR. As shown in 2019 research, the foundational physics underpinning integrated photonics has long pointed toward exactly the kind of chip-scale miniaturization China's funded companies are now racing to commercialize.
The deal activity around photonics this quarter feels genuinely alive. The Exosens acquisition of Emberion to bolster SWIR imaging, and Syntec Optics pricing a $20M offering in Rochester, signal that optical hardware investment isn't cooling anywhere on the map. I'd also note that China's regulatory push around domestic semiconductor self-sufficiency is a structural tailwind here, not a footnote. Active backers like Cowin Capital, Baidu Ventures, and Addor Capital are placing bets across this field, and with one unicorn already in the directory, the question isn't whether this sector is moving. It clearly is.
- Silicon Leads Photonics Market by Material with 40.3% Share and GaN Pr
- Photonics Market is expected to reach USD 1179.485 Billion by 2032, at
Ranked: Best Photonics companies in China
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Web popularity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San’an Optoelectronics Full color LED epitaxial chips and wafers | $801M | 88 mo ago | 9,439 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | Hesai Technology 🦄 Developer of LiDAR-based sensors for autonomous vehicles 76Patents top 12%Product top 18%Innovation top 19%Funding top 26% All 12 signals ▾Patentstop 12% Producttop 18% Innovationtop 19% Fundingtop 26% Moattop 26% Markettop 31% Newstop 35% Talenttop 38% Globaltop 40% Partnerstop 42% Techtop 43% Growthbottom 42% Patents: 591 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 549 filings since 2022 vs 42 in 2017-21 Product: 4 product launch events in 12 mo, 1 the year before · Company stage: Public rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 76/100 | $599M | 55 mo ago | 1,020 | Yifan Li Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+23 | Top 5M | 591 patents Advanced solid-state LiDAR sensing and automotive detection technologies | — |
| 3 | Surestar Developer of imaging LiDAR solutions and laser scanners 29Moat top 22%Funding top 39%Talent top 41%Market bottom 37% All 5 signals ▾Moattop 22% Fundingtop 39% Talenttop 41% Marketbottom 37% Globalbottom 29% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · Soonicorn Funding: Raised $180M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 8 yrs (0.2/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 29/100 | $180M | 40 mo ago | — | Jane Zhang CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Lumispot Tech Manufacturer of laser rangefinders, LiDAR systems, and laser modules 16Funding top 41%Talent bottom 45%Growth bottom 35%Tech bottom 35% All 6 signals ▾Fundingtop 41% Talentbottom 45% Growthbottom 35% Techbottom 35% Marketbottom 28% Globalbottom 25% Funding: Raised $92.4M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 8 yrs (0.5/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 16/100 | $92M | 36 mo ago | — | Cai Zhen CEO | Nginxcore-jsSwiper+5 | Top 5M | — | 3 launchs · 1 award |
| 5 | UTStar Provider of packet network transport and broadband access solutions with SDN | $88M | 192 mo ago | 175 | — | DrupalPHPMediaElement.js+5 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 6 | TuringQ Provider of quantum computing chips 37Funding top 24%Moat top 31%Talent bottom 49%Market bottom 40% All 5 signals ▾Fundingtop 24% Moattop 31% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 40% Globalbottom 36% Funding: Raised $79.0M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 5 yrs (0.4/yr) Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · Soonicorn rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $79M | 11 mo ago | — | Xianmin Jin Founder | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | RoboSense Developer of perception solutions, LiDAR sensors, and robotic hand-eye coordination | $45M | 48 mo ago | 1,311 | Qiu Chunxin Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalityShopifyTailwind CSS+19 | Top 5M | — | 2 partnerships · 1 award |
| 8 | InnoLight Optical transceiver solutions | $38M | 140 mo ago | 1,294 | — | Apple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365PHP+8 | Top 5M | 4 patents Photonic components and testing tools for high‑speed fiber optic communication systems. | — |
| 9 | FlyPro Provider of Fiber optic network solutions | $35M | 122 mo ago | — | Lin Hai Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalityWindows ServerPayPal+4 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 10 | Netcoresys Routers and switches equipment provider | $30M | 450 mo ago | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Zhejiang Light Technology Manufacturer of photonic ICs using III-V group of semiconductor compounds | $24M | 53 mo ago | 50 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Everbright Photonics High power diode laser products manufacturer | $22M | 94 mo ago | 287 | — | — | — | 54 patents High‑power, low‑divergence semiconductor laser/LED devices and advanced manufacturing methods | — |
| 13 | OmniSensing Photonics Technology Provider of LiDAR technology-based photonic products and sensing technologies | $16M | 60 mo ago | — | Chen Wei Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | Tanway Developer of LiDAR-based sensors for autonomous vehicles | $16M | 26 mo ago | 100 | Wang Shiwei CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | BWT Developer of fiber lasers | $14M | 41 mo ago | 1,318 | Jack Chen CEO | Microsoft ASP.NETVue.jsReact+6 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 16 | SynSense Developer of neuromorphic chips and bio-inspired vision sensors and software | $13M | 38 mo ago | 65 | Ning Qiao Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+32 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 17 | Photop Tech Components for datacom and telecom | $10M | 229 mo ago | 3,000 | John Ling CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | ZVISION Manufacturer of LiDAR-based sensors for autonomous vehicles | $10M | 43 mo ago | 300 | Yunxiang Li Co-Founder | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | Lemon Photon Research and development of semiconductor electro-optical devices, modules and systems | $7M | 82 mo ago | — | Xiao Yan Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Guoshun Laser Manufacturer of pulsed and ultrafast lasers, and micro-structured optical fibers 27Funding top 43%Talent bottom 49%Global bottom 33% All 3 signals ▾Fundingtop 43% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 33% Funding: Raised $6.9M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 27/100 | $7M | 14 mo ago | — | Xia Nan Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Photonic Rayleigh Provider of fiber optic cable fault location and repair equipment | $1M | 53 mo ago | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | Haierxin Optoelectronics Developer of trace gas sensors for bio-medical and environmental applications | $723K | 111 mo ago | — | Yin Wang Founder & President | — | — | — | — |
Top 12 Photonics companies in China
#1
Series B · Shanghai, Shanghai · founded 2021$79Mraised▾
Provider of quantum computing chips. It offers quantum computing software, optical quantum chip, and optical quantum computing operating systems. Its quantum computers are equipped with a continuous narrow linewidth semiconductor laser that can achieve quasi-phase matching combined with a high-precision temperature control module scheme and high stability Elastic vibration isolation system to prepare ultra-high quality and ultra-high brightness quantum light source.
- Jul 2025Series B$13.9M
- Jan 2023Series A—
- Mar 2022Series A—
- Feb 2022Seed$15.8M
#2
Series A · Suzhou, Jiangsu · founded 2021$6.9Mraised▾
Manufacturer of pulsed and ultrafast lasers, and micro-structured optical fibers. The company provides nanosecond, picosecond, and femtosecond lasers for various applications. These include laser systems for precision material processing and micromachining. It also offers specialty optical fibers with unique properties for laser and communications applications.
- Mar 2025Series A$6.9M
#3
Public · Shanghai, Shanghai · founded 2014 · 1020 employees$598.9Mraised▾
Developer of LiDAR-based sensors for autonomous vehicles. It offers products like mechanical lidars, solid-state lidars, a sensing kit that integrates cameras, LiDAR, and data processing for synchronization and calibration. It has also developed a laser-based methane leak detector and a drone-mounted natural gas surveillance system for the energy sector. It has applications in logistics, robotics, automotive, and industrial sectors.
- Nov 2021Series D$70M
- Jun 2021Series D$300M
- Jan 2020Series C$173M
- May 2018Series B$40M
#4
Series A · Wuxi, Jiangsu · founded 2010$92.4Mraised▾
Manufacturer of laser rangefinders, LiDAR systems, and laser modules. They produce a variety of laser-based components and systems for diverse applications, including defense and security, railway inspection, and industrial processes. The company's offerings encompass laser designators, diode lasers, fiber lasers, and structured light optical modules. Their expertise extends to providing complete system solutions, integrating various laser technologies to meet specific customer needs. They also offer support for scientific and research applications.
- 2023Series A$11.3M
- 2022Series A$65M
- 2020Series A$6.1M
- 2018Angel$10M
#5
Series A · Beijing, Beijing · founded 2005$179.9Mraised▾
Developer of imaging LiDAR solutions and laser scanners. Its product line includes multiple kinds of navigation and mapping laser radar equipment and systems including navigation obstacle systems, airborne Lidar, laser scanners, and laser radar systems. It has applications in multiple industries including power, mining, 3D modeling, surveying, mapping, and large-area mapping.
- Jan 2023Series A$26.5M
- Jan 2018Series A$153.4M
#6
Series A · Haidian, Beijing · founded 2017 · 100 employees$15.5Mraised▾
Developer of LiDAR-based sensors for autonomous vehicles. The platform offers various products including multiple-line lidar tensors, single-line lidar tensors, solid-state lidars, and solid-state scanning lidars. Its features include surround-view 2D scanning, target recognition, collision warning functions, and scanning solution. It has applications in autonomous vehicles, ADAS, and unmanned mapping.
- Apr 2024Series A—
- Sep 2023Series A—
- Jul 2023Series A—
- Sep 2021Series A$15.5M
#7
Public · Xiamen, Fujian · founded 2001 · 9439 employees$801.3Mraised▾
San’an Optoelectronics is engaged in the R&D, production, and marketing of full-color, ultra-high brightness LED epitaxial products, chips, compound solar cells, and high-power concentrating solar products. It claims to have the largest manufacturing capacity in China and also an automated production line for high-power concentrating solar products. It also develops optical communication devices and PIN PD chips.
- Jan 2019Post IPO$801.3M
#8
Series A · Chengdu, Sichuan Sheng · founded 2017 · 65 employees$12.7Mraised▾
Developer of neuromorphic chips and bio-inspired vision sensors and software. The company offers chips for brain-computer interfaces, processing bioelectrical signals, and human-computer interaction. Its bio-inspired vision sensors are designed for perception in extreme lighting and high-speed scenarios. The company also provides software for developers.
- Apr 2023Series A$10M
- Sep 2021Series A—
- May 2020Series A—
- Jan 2020Grant (prize money)$224.4K
#9
Public · Shenzhen, Guangdong Province · founded 2014 · 1311 employees$45Mraised▾
Developer of perception solutions, LiDAR sensors, and robotic hand-eye coordination. The company builds infrastructure, including supercomputing centers, AI models, and data toolchains. It focuses on hardware system research and development. The company maintains an automotive-grade quality and safety management system.
- Jun 2022Series C—
- Feb 2022Series C—
- Dec 2021Series C—
- Oct 2018Series B$45M
#10
Series B · Beijing, Beijing · founded 2003 · 1318 employees$14.3Mraised▾
Developer of fiber lasers. Its product line includes fiber-coupled semiconductor lasers, stacked semiconductor lasers, semiconductor laser subsystems, semiconductor laser accessories, and fiber-optic laser systems. Its products are used for the development of indicator lights, photodetectors, semiconductor coolers, and optical fiber switches.
- Dec 2022Series B$14.3M
#11
Series C · Haidian, Beijing · founded 2017 · 300 employees$9.9Mraised▾
Manufacturer of LiDAR-based sensors for autonomous vehicles. It develops series of solid-state LiDAR sensors, such as a high-resolution and a wide field of vision LiDARs for robots and low-speed vehicles, long-range LiDARs for autonomous driving and robotics, and ultra-long-range LiDARs with a high frame rate, particularly for autonomous driving.
- Nov 2022Series C—
- Jan 2022Series B—
- Jun 2021Series B—
- Apr 2020Series A$9.9M
#12
Series B · Shaoxing, Zhejiang · founded 2017 · 50 employees$23.5Mraised▾
Manufacturer of photonic ICs using III-V group of semiconductor compounds. Its product portfolio includes photodetectors, silicon-based optical chips and passive devices, InGaAs-based optical chips, and avalanche photodiodes. It has applications in distance measurement, spatial optical transmission, optical reflectometers, spatial light transmission, and low-light-level detection.
- Dec 2021Series B—
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Photonics coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time flat
Funding & growth over time
funding flat · growth rising
How research on Photonics & Optoelectronics is moving in China
A read on the academic research around Photonics & Optoelectronics — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 17,795 China-affiliated papers.
- Chinese Academy of Sciences1674
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences798
- Tsinghua University461
- Peking University442
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China426
- Heterojunction28→851
- Perovskite (structure)37→850
- Laser5→651
- Fabrication12→639
- Polarization (electrochemistry)6→583
- Laser6→350
- Heterojunction25→306
- Perovskite (structure)28→287
- Fabrication5→258
- Doping34→254
- Perovskite (structure)1→49
- Fabrication1→36
- Diode2→32
- Photovoltaic system4→31
- Transistor1→25
Where photonics is researched across China
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing photonics patents in China
China photonics patent filing is cooling — 59,974 filings from 8,000 assignees (2016–2025), led by BOE Technology Group, Shenzhen China STAR Optoelect, Huawei TECH; annual filings 5330→4866.
- BOE Technology Group21871
- Shenzhen China STAR Optoelect9646
- Huawei TECH5048
- Wuhan China STAR Optoelectronics4504
- Beijing BOE Display TECH2988
- Beijing BOE Optoelectronics TECH2608
- HKC2361
- Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics T1704
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.