Best Photonics Companies in England, United Kingdom
The 76 best Photonics companies in England, United Kingdom in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Oxford Photovoltaics.
Ranked: Best Photonics companies in England
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oxford Photovoltaics Manufacturer of tandem solar cells combining perovskite and silicon layers | $202M | 83 mo ago | 115 115 → 107 (-7%) · sector median +16% | Henry Snaith Co-Founder | WebflowApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+18 | 155 patents Manufacturing multi-junction perovskite solar cells and related deposition processes. | — |
| 2 | ONI Biotechnology company specializing in super-resolution microscopy systems | $113M | 54 mo ago | 143 | Achillefs Kapanidis Co-Founder | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+29 | — | 3 launchs |
| 3 | Optalysys Provider of AI-powered optical processing technology for big data applications 80Innovation top 15%Growth top 15%Patents top 18%News top 24% All 10 signals ▾Innovationtop 15% Growthtop 15% Patentstop 18% Newstop 24% AItop 28% Fundingtop 32% Moattop 38% Talenttop 41% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 28% Innovation: 97 patents (top 15% of patent-holders) · 65 filings since 2022 vs 25 in 2017-21 Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 80/100 | $32M | 5 mo ago | 12 | Robert Todd Co-Founder & Chief Technical Officer | — | 97 patents High‑precision optical Fourier/number‑theoretic transforms for accelerated signal and data processing | 1 job opening |
| 4 | Phyworks High performance ICs for datacom and telecom applications | $24M | 273 mo ago | 2 | Stephen King Co-Founder & CEO | — | 27 patents Adaptive digital RF receivers and equalizer technologies for wireless communication systems. | — |
| 5 | ORCA Developer of photonic quantum computing systems for machine learning applications | $19M | 48 mo ago | 28 28 → 39 (+39%) · sector median +16% | Ian Walmsley Co-Founder & Chairman | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+26 | — | 1 partnership |
| 6 | Optoscribe Developer of 3D glass-based photonic integrated circuits | $15M | 59 mo ago | 32 | Nick Psaila Co-Founder & CTO | — | 21 patents Precision optical fiber alignment and laser-based microfabrication of optical components. | — |
| 7 | Lumai Developer of 3D optical computing processors for AI data centers | $14M | 14 mo ago | — | Tom Barrett Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | 2 patents Analog computing hardware for high‑speed, low‑power AI and scientific calculations | — |
| 8 | Oxsensis Manufacturer of SF6 gas handling and monitoring equipment | $13M | 195 mo ago | 25 | Alexander Wiegand Managing Director | — | 63 patents High‑precision optical pressure and interferometric sensing technologies | — |
| 9 | Salience Labs Developer of optical circuit switches for artificial intelligence infrastructure networking | $12M | 17 mo ago | 11 | Johannes Feldmann Co-Founder and CTO at Salience Labs | WordPressMySQLPHP+14 | 28 patents Photonic interconnect hardware: optical couplers, switching networks, clock distribution, and optical memory. | — |
| 10 | Mirico Developer of methane gas sensing systems | $11M | 24 mo ago | 16 16 → 25 (+56%) · sector median +16% | Bob Flint Chief Executive Officer | — | 8 patents Advanced chirped‑laser dispersion spectroscopy instruments for precise optical analysis | 1 partnership |
| 11 | Lumenisity Provider of fiber optic cable solutions | $10M | 68 mo ago | 43 | — | WordPress Block EditorBeaver BuilderWordPress+18 | 18 patents Fiber optic cable manufacturing, division, splicing, and termination technologies. | — |
| 12 | Vivosight Provider of optical coherence tomography diagnostic device for dermatology | $9M | 136 mo ago | 11 | Jonathan Holmes CEO | — | — | — |
| 13 | Microcosm Communications CMOS ICs for optical networking and communication products | $8M | 323 mo ago | 50 | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | Crypto Quantique Developer of quantum-resistant solutions for cybersecurity | $8M | 73 mo ago | 29 29 → 37 (+28%) · sector median +16% | — | — | 53 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 15 | Cron AI Developer of deep learning software for processing live sensor data | $7M | 61 mo ago | 13 | Tushar Chhabra Cofounder and CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+21 | 10 patents Video background subtraction and object detection for real‑time scene analysis | 3 launchs · 1 partnership |
| 16 | Opsydia Developer of laser inscription technology for photonics and gemstones | $7M | 45 mo ago | 13 13 → 28 (+115%) · sector median +16% | Martin Booth Co-Founder | Craft CMSPHPYii+15 | 26 patents Laser-based internal material machining and optical inspection/inscription of gemstones. | 6 job openings |
| 17 | Microsaic Systems Developer of MEMS-based mass spectrometry systems | $6M | 29 mo ago | 22 | Eric Yeatman Consultant And Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+20 | 180 patents Ion funnel and plasma ionisation technologies enhancing liquid sample mass spectrometry performance. | — |
| 18 | Kubos Developer of high end LEDs for various application | $6M | 25 mo ago | 5 | Caroline O'brien CEO | — | — | — |
| 19 | Aegiq Provider of quantum photonics hardware for communications | $5M | 36 mo ago | 5 | Scott Dufferwiel Co-Founder & CTO | NginxMicrosoft 365IONOS+3 | 11 patents Integrated quantum photonic components for secure communication: single‑photon sources, fiber interfaces, free‑space QKD. | 1 launch |
| 20 | SMi Developer of a single molecule imaging tool for research and clinical diagnostics | $5M | 36 mo ago | 15 | Andrew Thompson Founder & Director | — | — | 1 partnership |
| 21 | CamGraPhIC Developer of graphene-based photonic circuits | $4M | 2 mo ago | 1 | — | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+17 | — | — |
| 22 | Zero Point Motion Provider of diversified MEMS-based optical sensors | $3M | 15 mo ago | 2 | Lia Li Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+13 | 24 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 23 | Q-Technologies Mass spectrometry systems | $3M | 84 mo ago | — | Steve Taylor Managing Director | — | — | — |
| 24 | Polar OLED Provider of liquid crystal-based polymer materials | $3M | 123 mo ago | 2 | Steve Kelly Co-Founder | — | 4 patents OLED substrate materials and manufacturing processes for OLED devices | — |
| 25 | ROADMap Systems Provider of multiplexers and demultiplexers for active optical networks | $3M | 96 mo ago | 6 | — | — | 24 patents Space-division multiplexed, wavelength-selective optical switching hardware for telecom networks | — |
| 26 | Oxford HighQ developer of chemical and nanoparticle sensors | $2M | 91 mo ago | 17 | Jason Smith Co-Founder & Director | — | 11 patents High‑precision optical microcavity sensors and alignment structures for photonic measurement systems | — |
| 27 | Axenic Developer of gallium arsenide based electro-optic modulator device | $2M | 8 mo ago | 7 | Steve Clements Founder & CEO | — | 20 patents High‑speed travelling‑wave electro‑optic modulators and integrated optical waveguide structures. | — |
| 28 | CRIL Developer of AI-assisted cell analysis and tissue diagnosis devices | $2M | 49 mo ago | 1 | Giulio Cerullo Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+14 | — | — |
| 29 | Andor Technology Manufacturer of scientific cameras, microscopy systems, spectrographs, and optical cryostats | $1M | 132 mo ago | 57 | Mike Pringle Co-Founder | — | 11 patents Calibration and performance enhancement of electron‑multiplying CCD spectrometers | — |
| 30 | Photek Manufacturer of vacuum-based tubes and camera systems for particle detection | $632K | 113 mo ago | 60 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+26 | 20 patents Microchannel plate electron multipliers and associated detection systems | — |
| 31 | Cambridge Display Technology Polymer organic light emitting diodes (P-OLED) | $517K | 137 mo ago | 57 | Richard Friend Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | 2,436 patents Thermal management polymers, single-ion conductors, and fullerene-based organic electronic materials | — |
| 32 | Power OLEDs Provider OLED products for energy management systems | $376K | 99 mo ago | — | Tim Dempsey Founder & Director | — | 21 patents Organic heterocyclic emitters for OLEDs, organic photovoltaics, and thin‑film transistors | — |
| 33 | Fibercore Manufacturer of multiple optical fibres | $320K | 116 mo ago | 42 42 → 36 (-14%) · sector median +16% | — | — | 51 patents Composite single‑mode/multimode optical fibers for advanced sensing and drilling telemetry | — |
| 34 | Photon Design Provider of simulation software for the photonic ICs | $228K | 89 mo ago | — | — | Craft CMSPHPYii+14 | — | — |
| 35 | Infinitesima Developer of atomic precision 3D metrology technology for semiconductor manufacturing | $218K | 4 mo ago | 29 | Andrew Humphris Founder & CTO | JoomlaPHPGoogle Maps+11 | 159 patents AI-enhanced scanning probe microscopy systems and data analysis for nanoscale imaging | 2 job openings |
| 36 | Advanced Laser Imaging Provider of 3D laser scanning systems for scanning and surveying applications | $123K | 150 mo ago | 2 | Paul Snudden Chief Executive Officer | — | — | — |
| 37 | Phoenix Photonics Fiber optic networking equipment and subsystems provider | $111K | 130 mo ago | 3 | Ian Giles Founder & CEO | — | 2 patents Mode-selective coupling and detection in integrated optical waveguides. | — |
| 38 | Quantopticon Developer of a software suite for designing and optimizing quantum devices | $100K | 51 mo ago | 3 | Mirella Koleva Co-Founder & CEO | — | 8 patents Software for simulating quantum optical systems and their response to electromagnetic pulses | — |
Top 12 Photonics companies in England
#1
Series A · Leeds, England · founded 2013 · 12 employees$32.1Mraised▾
Provider of AI-powered optical processing technology for big data applications. It designs and develops model simulation units and big data analysis units. Model simulation units will have a specification of multiple petaFLOPs, and Big Data analysis units will have an initial specification of 1.3 petaFLOPs. It also built a scalable and lens-less optical processing prototype that can perform mathematical functions.
- Jan 2026Series A$30.9M
- Jul 2023Series A$27.5M
- Sep 2017Seed$4M
- Apr 2016Grant (prize money)$350K
#2
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2018 · 1 employees$4.4Mraised▾
Developer of graphene-based photonic circuits. Its offerings include next-generation photonic circuits for telecoms and datacom, with integrated photonics technology enabling simplified design and energy-efficient transceiver solutions. Its features include graphene-integrated optical transceivers with high bandwidth density, miniaturized form factor, ultra-fast electro-optical response, wavelength independence, and low power consumption. It also supports compatibility with standard silicon foundries and offers custom circuit development for specific telecom and data center applications.
- Apr 2026Grant (prize money)$249M
- Mar 2025Series A$27.1M
- Jul 2023Conventional Debt$1.9M
- Aug 2022Seed$1.5M
#3
Series A · Oxford, England · founded 2022$13.7Mraised▾
Developer of 3D optical computing processors for AI data centers. This technology offers significantly faster processing speeds and substantially lower energy consumption compared to traditional silicon-based solutions. The processors utilize the properties of light beams in three-dimensional space for parallel processing, resulting in a substantial increase in performance and efficiency. This approach addresses the limitations of current AI infrastructure by reducing costs and power requirements while enhancing performance.
- Apr 2025Series A$10M
- Feb 2023Grant (prize money)$1.3M
- Jan 2022Seed$2.4M
#4
Seed · Sedgefield, England · founded 2015 · 7 employees$2Mraised▾
aXenic offers design, development, and production of optical modulators for communications and sensing based on gallium arsenide. It uses GaAs Mach Zehnder Modulator Technology. The product portfolio of the company includes aXMD2150 broadband optical modulator, aXSD2050 GaAs IQ Modulator, aXMD2030-40 GHz Mach Zehnder, aXSD2125-40 Gbit/sec IQ, aXPD1332-100 Gbit/sec, and aXPD2340-400 Gbit/sec dual polarisation IQ Modulator.
- Oct 2025Seed$673.5K
- Nov 2020Grant (prize money)$413.5K
- Jul 2020Grant (prize money)$457.1K
- Jan 2020Grant (prize money)$433.9K
#5
Series A · Oxford, England · founded 2021 · 11 employees$11.5Mraised▾
Developer of optical circuit switches for artificial intelligence infrastructure networking. These switch chips address networking constraints, facilitating high bandwidth and low latency connectivity. The switches are designed for compatibility, reliability, and manufacturability. The company's optical switch enables all-optical networking between compute nodes. It allows for network resizing and provisioning with switch reconfiguration, flow routing, and synchronisation technologies.
- Dec 2024Series A$32.2M
- 2023Grant (prize money)—
- Jan 2022Seed$11.5M
- Oct 2021Seed$1.6M
#6
Seed · Bristol, England · founded 2020 · 2 employees$3.4Mraised▾
Provider of diversified MEMS-based optical sensors. It develops photonic integrated chips and sensors for monitoring positioning, navigation, structural health, and platform stabilisation. It integrates ultra-low noise properties of light with existing sensors. It has applications in the consumer electronics and automotive sectors.
- Mar 2025Seed$5.2M
- 2022Grant (prize money)—
- Mar 2022Seed$3.4M
#7
Series B · Abingdon, England · founded 2001 · 29 employees$217.7Kraised▾
Developer of atomic precision 3D metrology technology for semiconductor manufacturing. It provides a rapid probe microscope (RPM) system for sub-nanometer precision measurement of critical dimensions in 3D semiconductor structures. This technology offers significantly faster data acquisition speeds compared to traditional methods, enabling cost-effective inline 3D process control. The system is qualified by leading semiconductor companies and addresses the need for precise measurement in advanced chip manufacturing. The company's technology is crucial for continued progress in semiconductor device scaling.
- Jan 2026Series B—
- Jan 2024Seed—
- Apr 2006Grant (prize money)—
- Jan 2003Seed—
#8
Series A · Didcot, England · founded 2015 · 16 employees$10.9Mraised▾
Developer of methane gas sensing systems. Its sytems use high-sensitivity laser technology to provide real-time gas measurements. Aims to enhance environmental monitoring and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Jun 2024Series A$2M
- Jan 2020Series A$2.7M
- Apr 2018Series A$5M
- Sep 2017Grant (prize money)$699.5K
#9
Series B · Oxford, England · founded 2016 · 143 employees$113.3Mraised▾
Biotechnology company specializing in super-resolution microscopy systems. These instruments utilize single molecule localization techniques to visualize biological structures at the nanoscale. The product line includes benchtop microscopes capable of various imaging modalities such as dSTORM, PALM, and DNA-PAINT. These systems support applications in cell biology, microbiology, and nanoparticle characterization. The hardware integrates with cloud-based software platforms designed for data analysis, clustering, and collaborative research. Additionally, the company provides reagents and kits to facilitate sample labeling and preparation for high-precision imaging workflows.
- Dec 2021Series B$75M
- Jun 2021Grant (prize money)$246.5K
- Aug 2020Series A$5.3M
- Jul 2020Series A$2.8M
#10
Series D · Oxford, England · founded 2010 · 115 employees$202.2Mraised▾
Manufacturer of tandem solar cells combining perovskite and silicon layers. These components utilize thin film coatings applied to conventional silicon bases to capture broader light spectrums. The technology increases energy conversion efficiency compared to standard single-junction solar products. These cells integrate into existing module production processes for use in utility, building, and transportation applications.
- Jul 2019Series D$82M
- Mar 2019Series D$41.1M
- Apr 2018Series D$11.2M
- Apr 2018Grant (prize money)$641.2K
#11
Series A · Cambridge, England · founded 2017 · 5 employees$5.5Mraised▾
Developer of high end LEDs for various application. It claims to manufacture LEDs that are used and applied in visual signs, street lights, micro-LED displays, automotive, skincare, mood lighting, RGB based white source lighting, and warm white lights.
- May 2024Series A$2M
- Aug 2023Grant (prize money)$895.6K
- Nov 2020Seed$1M
#12
Public · Woking, England · founded 2001 · 22 employees$6.5Mraised▾
Developer of MEMS-based mass spectrometry systems. They have been able to integrate MS products on a patented chip. It offers a portable and tabletop mass spectrometer containing all the components needed for MS. Their technology employs chip-scale and plug-and-play versions of MS components which can be used interchangeably by the user. It also offers a compact interface unit, which allows for simple deployment of mass detection in a large variety of applications, automated sampling systems.
- Jan 2024Post IPO$2.7M
- Jan 2021Post IPO$6.8M
- Mar 2017Post IPO$6.5M
- Apr 2011Series A$6.5M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Photonics coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Photonics & Optoelectronics is moving in the United Kingdom
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 2,435 United Kingdom-affiliated papers.
- Institute of Physics217
- Imperial College London194
- University of Cambridge159
- University of Oxford136
- University of Glasgow98
- Laser1→91
- Heterojunction4→65
- Fabrication5→66
- Polarization (electrochemistry)3→55
- Electrode1→48
- Fabrication3→44
- Doping6→40
- Electrode2→29
- Thin film6→33
- Photoluminescence5→32
- Photovoltaic system2→6
- Diode2→5
- Degradation (telecommunications)1→4
- Perovskite (structure)7→8
- Halide3→4
Where photonics is researched across United Kingdom
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 the United Kingdom
United Kingdom photonics patent filing is cooling — 7,346 filings from 3,516 assignees (2016–2025), led by Rockley Photonics, BAE Systems, UNIV Southampton; annual filings 691→579.
- Rockley Photonics753
- BAE Systems683
- UNIV Southampton377
- British Telecomm327
- Flexenable282
- Qinetiq266
- Envisics257
- TYCO Electronics UK240
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.