Radar · Photonics in Germany
Best Photonics Companies in Germany
The 128 best Photonics companies in Germany in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Black Semiconductor.
By Riya SenguptaFinancials
128companies tracked
$729.2Mdisclosed funding
0unicorns
45have raised
Germany's Photonics sector is serious money, and this directory ranks 128 tracked companies by disclosed equity funding and recent momentum. Total disclosed funding across the cohort sits at $729M, with Black Semiconductor alone accounting for $280M of that, and Q.ANT pulling another $83M. Those two figures tell you something: capital in German photonics concentrates fast at the hardware layer, not in software wrappers.
The global backdrop is big. The photonics market was valued at roughly $911.5B in 2023 and is forecast to reach around $1,600B by 2033, implying a 6.11% CAGR, with biophotonics and defense spending among the harder demand drivers. Silicon photonics fabrication is the theme I keep seeing surface in coverage right now, and consolidation is quietly picking up pace too, as Exosens' recent move to acquire Emberion for SWIR imaging capability signals. So where does Germany fit? With active backers like HTGF, EIC Fund, and Bayern Kapital anchoring early rounds across 128 companies, it's a market with real depth beneath those headline numbers.
Sources & further reading
- 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 Germany
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Web popularity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Semiconductor Developer of graphene photonics technology for chip connectivity and data transfer 55Growth top 30%Moat top 31%Funding top 36%Talent top 38% All 10 signals ▾Growthtop 30% Moattop 31% Fundingtop 36% Talenttop 38% Innovationtop 41% Patentstop 41% Techtop 43% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 36% Newsbottom 22% Growth: Web rank 10,000,000 → 5,000,000 YoY Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 18 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $280M | 24 mo ago | — | Sebastian Schall Co-Founder & CFO | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+15 | Top 5M | 18 patents Integrated photonic modulators and graphene-based optoelectronic components with advanced via structures | — |
| 2 | Q.ANT Provider of industrial quantum technology and photonics solutions, specializing in photonics, quantum… 62Patents top 12%Innovation top 18%Funding top 28%Growth top 35% All 9 signals ▾Patentstop 12% Innovationtop 18% Fundingtop 28% Growthtop 35% Moattop 41% Techtop 44% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 44% Marketbottom 34% Patents: 168 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 153 filings since 2022 vs 15 in 2017-21 Innovation: 168 patents (top 10% of patent-holders) · 153 filings since 2022 vs 15 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $83M | 7 mo ago | — | Michael Fortsch CEO | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+26 | Top 5M | 168 patents Particle sensing and characterization instrumentation with magnetic shielding and optical filtering | — |
| 3 | Cynora Blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) emitters provider 53Product top 26%Patents top 28%Moat top 28%Talent top 28% All 11 signals ▾Producttop 26% Patentstop 28% Moattop 28% Talenttop 28% Innovationtop 33% Fundingtop 35% Markettop 46% Globalbottom 46% Growthbottom 42% Techbottom 30% Newsbottom 22% Product: 4 distinct product lines · Company stage: Acquired Patents: 842 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 85 filings since 2022 vs 563 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $80M | 85 mo ago | 116 | — | — | — | 842 patents Organic OLED materials and devices for high‑efficiency green and blue light emission | — |
| 4 | Light Cross Optical networking and switching components 21Funding top 46%Talent bottom 45%Market bottom 38%Global bottom 38% All 5 signals ▾Fundingtop 46% Talentbottom 45% Marketbottom 38% Globalbottom 38% Growthbottom 25% Funding: Raised $41.3M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 26 yrs (0.1/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 21/100 | $41M | 298 mo ago | 41 | Robert Barron CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Blickfeld Manufacturer of three-dimensional light detection and ranging sensors and software 62Talent top 15%News top 28%Moat top 29%Growth top 35% All 11 signals ▾Talenttop 15% Newstop 28% Moattop 29% Growthtop 35% Patentstop 36% Fundingtop 38% Innovationtop 40% Techbottom 49% Marketbottom 45% Globalbottom 42% Partnersbottom 35% Talent: Analyst team rating 5/5 News: 4 BI events in 12 mo (of 23 tracked, 5 types) · Top themes: M&A, Contracts rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 62/100 | $39M | 30 mo ago | 109 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+19 | Top 10M | 113 patents High‑precision lidar and fiber‑laser scanning systems with advanced point‑cloud processing | — |
| 6 | Innolume Manufacturer of quantum‑dot and diode lasers for photonic applications 48Patents top 25%Product top 25%Moat top 25%Innovation top 32% All 9 signals ▾Patentstop 25% Producttop 25% Moattop 25% Innovationtop 32% Fundingtop 40% Techtop 41% Growthbottom 46% Globalbottom 42% Marketbottom 38% Patents: 54 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 14 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 Product: 11 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series C rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $28M | 76 mo ago | 51 51 → 64 (+25%) · sector median -7% | — | Cart FunctionalityNode.jsUbuntu+13 | Top 10M | 54 patents Fiber-optic coupling modules and demultiplexing components for high-speed data transmission. | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 7 | Silicon Line Developer of ICs for high-speed optical connections 37Moat top 21%Talent top 23%Product top 30%Patents top 37% All 9 signals ▾Moattop 21% Talenttop 23% Producttop 30% Patentstop 37% Innovationtop 40% Fundingtop 46% Globalbottom 42% Techbottom 36% Marketbottom 29% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 171 patents Talent: 5 named leaders on record · 4 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $27M | 93 mo ago | 32 | Holger Holtke Co-Founder & CIO | WordPressMySQLPHP+23 | Top 50M | 171 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 8 | 4JET Developer of laser systems for industrial surface treatment and modification | $17M | 92 mo ago | 150 | Armin Kraus Managing Director & CFO | HubSpot CMS HubBootstrapYouTube+19 | Top 5M | 20 patents Advanced machining, laser treatment, and digital coding of non‑conductive/rubber materials | 3 launchs |
| 9 | LiangDao Provider of LiDAR sensors 24Funding top 45%Talent bottom 49%Market bottom 37%Global bottom 36% All 4 signals ▾Fundingtop 45% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 37% Globalbottom 36% Funding: Raised $15.8M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 4 yrs (0.2/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 24/100 | $16M | 23 mo ago | — | Xueming Ju Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | Quantune Technologies Developer of spectrometers 7Funding top 48%Talent bottom 49%Global bottom 37%Tech bottom 25% All 5 signals ▾Fundingtop 48% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 37% Techbottom 25% Marketbottom 16% Funding: Raised $15.7M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 2 yrs (1.5/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 7/100 | $16M | 19 mo ago | 8 | Jan Kischkat Co-Founder & CEO | WebflowApache HTTP Servercore-js+5 | Top 50M | — | 1 award |
| 11 | Fos4X Provider of IoT sensors | $13M | 96 mo ago | 73 | — | — | — | 248 patents Fiber-optic condition monitoring and ice detection for wind turbine structural health | — |
| 12 | Senorics Developer of material sensing technology for rapid material composition analysis 48Moat top 25%Talent top 28%Patents top 29%Innovation top 32% All 7 signals ▾Moattop 25% Talenttop 28% Patentstop 29% Innovationtop 32% Fundingbottom 46% Marketbottom 37% Globalbottom 36% Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 39 patents Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 3 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $12M | 61 mo ago | 36 | Robert Langer Co-Founder & CCO | — | — | 39 patents Multispectral optoelectronic devices and bispyranilidine-based photodetector materials. | — |
| 13 | II-VI DirectPhotonics Develops ultra-high brightness direct diode lasers | $12M | 132 mo ago | 186 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | Toptica Photonics Manufacturer of diode lasers for scientific and industrial applications 53Patents top 31%Moat top 35%Tech top 37%Innovation top 40% All 11 signals ▾Patentstop 31% Moattop 35% Techtop 37% Innovationtop 40% Growthtop 45% Markettop 48% Fundingbottom 49% Talentbottom 49% Customersbottom 43% Globalbottom 42% Productbottom 41% Patents: 181 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 30 filings since 2022 vs 54 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 5/10 · IP moat: 181 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $12M | 56 mo ago | 277 | Frank Lison Managing Director (Ceo) And Co-Founder | TYPO3 CMSPHPMathJax+15 | Top 5M | 181 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | 2 launchs |
| 15 | Luxendo Manufacturer of light-sheet fluorescence microscopes for 3D bioimaging | $8M | 113 mo ago | 20 20 → 14 (-30%) · sector median -7% | — | — | — | — | 1 award |
| 16 | VI Systems Developer of optoelectronic components and integrated circuits for optical data transmission | $7M | 66 mo ago | 9 | — | — | — | 261 patents Electric power conversion, management, and transmission for vehicles, e‑bikes, and photovoltaics | — |
| 17 | Ficontec Manufacturer of automated assembly and testing systems for photonic devices 48Fin. health top 34%Growth top 45%Market top 50%Funding bottom 49% All 7 signals ▾Fin. healthtop 34% Growthtop 45% Markettop 50% Fundingbottom 49% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 43% Globalbottom 43% Fin. health: Revenue ~$48.1M (FY2021) · Net margin 0.0% rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $6M | 39 mo ago | 92 | Torsten Vahrenkamp Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+27 | Top 10M | — | 1 job opening |
| 18 | FiSens Provider of fibre optic sensors and spectrometer systems | $4M | 62 mo ago | 11 | Christian Waltermann Founder and Technical Director | — | — | 24 patents Fiber-optic sensing and spectrometer devices for temperature and optical measurement | — |
| 19 | Sicoya Provider of silicon transceivers for optical interconnects | $4M | 127 mo ago | 62 62 → 32 (-48%) · sector median -7% | Christoph Theiss Co-Founder & Director | WordPressMySQLPHP+15 | Top 50M | 128 patents Integrated photonic and electro‑optical modules for fiber communications, LiDAR and radar systems | — |
| 20 | Pixel Photonics Provider of single-photon detectors 48Growth top 28%Innovation top 33%Moat top 37%Patents top 38% All 10 signals ▾Growthtop 28% Innovationtop 33% Moattop 37% Patentstop 38% Talenttop 38% Fundingtop 41% Globalbottom 37% Marketbottom 32% Techbottom 24% Newsbottom 17% Growth: Web rank 50,000,000 → 10,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo Innovation: 18 patents (top 55% of patent-holders) · 18 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $3M | 2 mo ago | 23 | Nicolai Walter Co-Founder & CEO | BootstrapApache HTTP ServerLazySizes+5 | Top 10M | 18 patents Single-photon detection and low‑loss optical components for quantum photonics systems | 1 partnership · 1 award |
| 21 | Klastech Karpushko Laser Technology Diode pumped solid state laser solutions | $3M | 233 mo ago | 50 | Christopher Madin CEO | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | Akhetonics Provider of optical general-purpose processors 37Growth top 35%Talent top 38%Moat top 42%Innovation top 44% All 9 signals ▾Growthtop 35% Talenttop 38% Moattop 42% Innovationtop 44% Patentstop 45% Fundingtop 49% Techbottom 40% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 22% Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $3M | 18 mo ago | 9 | Leonardo Bino Co-Founder | WebflowTypekitcore-js+9 | Top 10M | 13 patents Photonic integrated circuits enabling optical logic gates and high‑speed optical‑to‑digital conversion. | — |
| 23 | Crypta Labs Quantum cryptography based security solutions for IoT applications | $2M | 83 mo ago | 10 10 → 11 (+10%) · sector median -7% | — | WordPress Block EditorElementorCart Functionality+32 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 24 | VPIphotonics Provider of simulators for integrated photonic waveguide and optical fiber 24Growth top 30%Talent bottom 49%Funding bottom 34%Tech bottom 33% All 6 signals ▾Growthtop 30% Talentbottom 49% Fundingbottom 34% Techbottom 33% Globalbottom 30% Marketbottom 27% Growth: Web rank 50,000,000 → 10,000,000 YoY Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 24/100 | $2M | 41 mo ago | 20 20 → 36 (+80%) · sector median -7% | Andre Richter CEO & MD | PHPYouTubeApache HTTP Server+6 | Top 10M | — | 2 launchs |
| 25 | GME Medical Engineering Manufacturer of laser and light systems for medical applications | $2M | 157 mo ago | 12 | Stefan Schulze Founder and Managing Director | WordPressMySQLPHP+13 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 26 | EAGLEYARD Provider of high power laser diodes with a wide range of wavelengths 19Talent bottom 45%Funding bottom 43%Global bottom 36%Market bottom 32% All 4 signals ▾Talentbottom 45% Fundingbottom 43% Globalbottom 36% Marketbottom 32% Talent: 1 named leader on record Funding: Raised $1.9M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 10 yrs (0.2/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 19/100 | $2M | 86 mo ago | 50 | Claus Heitmann CEO | — | — | — | 3 launchs |
| 27 | 3D-Micromac Developer of laser micromachining systems for semiconductors, glass, photovoltaics, and medical | $2M | 44 mo ago | — | Uwe Wagner CEO / CTO | WordPressPleskMySQL+17 | Top 10M | 134 patents Microfabrication of layered microstructures and xMR magnetic field sensors via laser machining | 1 partnership |
| 28 | neoLASE Provider of solid-state laser solutions | $1M | 62 mo ago | 11 11 → 9 (-18%) · sector median -7% | Maik Frede CEO | — | — | 8 patents Non‑regenerative optical amplifiers for ultrashort‑pulse fiber laser systems | 1 launch |
| 29 | AP Sensing Provider of distributed fiber optic sensing solutions for asset and infrastructure | $1M | 42 mo ago | 5,100 | Clemens Pohl Founder & CEO & MD | LeafletStimulusNginx+11 | Top 5M | 30 patents Fiber-optic distributed sensing for power cable condition, temperature, and leak monitoring. | 2 partnerships |
| 30 | Vanguard Automation Provider of 3D printing technology for the electronic industry | $752K | 65 mo ago | 19 | Thorsten Mayer CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+15 | Top 50M | 13 patents Photonic packaging wire‑bonding and optical metrology for non‑spherical object pose detection. | 1 award |
| 31 | Ibeo Automotive Systems Provider of LiDAR-based sensor systems | $735K | 60 mo ago | 411 | Ulrich Lages CEO | — | — | 340 patents Automotive lidar systems for precise optical distance measurement and 3D environment sensing. | — |
| 32 | Pulsar Photonics Modular machines for materials processing using ultra short pulse lasers | $652K | 123 mo ago | 41 41 → 58 (+41%) · sector median -7% | Joachim Ryll Co-Founder & Managing Partner | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+19 | Top 50M | 28 patents Laser-based machining and surface processing of workpieces, especially metal cleaning and structuring | — |
| 33 | PicoQuant Manufacturer of the pulsed diode lasers. single photon counting instruments, and fluorescence microscope | $550K | 125 mo ago | — | Rainer Erdmann Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLRedis+25 | Top 5M | 15 patents Advanced fluorescence microscopy and single‑photon detection technologies for high‑resolution imaging | 2 launchs |
| 34 | Raith Provider of nanofabrication systems and characterization solutions for industry and academia | $476K | 62 mo ago | 11 | Masum Khan CEO | BreakdanceWordPressApple iCloud Mail+16 | Top 5M | 13 patents Focused ion beam and SIMS instrumentation for semiconductor inspection and advanced ion source generation | 1 job opening · 1 expansion · 2 awards |
| 35 | AMS Technologies Provider of optical, thermal, and electronics solutions | $313K | 113 mo ago | 61 | Jan Meise CEO | Cart FunctionalitySalesforceIntercom+13 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 36 | qutools Developer of quantum time tagging and quantum entanglement demonstration devices | $299K | 101 mo ago | — | Henning Weier Co-Founder & Co-CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+9 | Top 10M | 6 patents Quantum key distribution hardware and entangled photon pair generation for quantum communications | — |
| 37 | Weinert Industries Manufacturer of optical fiber & cables | $237K | 77 mo ago | 420 | Andreas Weinert Co-Founder & CEO | WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+20 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 38 | Protemics Developer of terahertz measurement components, sub-systems, and full system solutions | $189K | 79 mo ago | — | Marcel Meuer Co-Founder | — | — | 5 patents Near‑field THz/microwave probe sensors and absorber microstructures for high‑frequency metrology | — |
Top 12 Photonics companies in Germany
#1
Series A · Stuttgart, Baden Wurttemberg · founded 2018$82.9Mraised▾
Series A · Stuttgart, Baden Wurttemberg · founded 2018
Q.ANT is an expert in industrial quantum technology based in Germany, specializing in photonics, quantum computing, magnetometers, particle sensors, and atomic gyroscopes. They have recently developed breakthrough quantum magnetic field sensors for controlling prostheses, exoskeletons, and avatars with neural signals.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 62how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 12%Innovation
top 18%Funding
top 28%Growth
top 35%Moat
top 41%Tech
top 44%Patents: 168 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 153 filings since 2022 vs 15 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Innovation: 168 patents (top 10% of patent-holders) · 153 filings since 2022 vs 15 in 2017-21
Funding: Raised $82.9M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 7 yrs (0.4/yr) · Last round Series A (Oct 2025)
Audience (LinkedIn): 13k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Oct 2025Series A$8M
- Jul 2025Series A$72M
- Jan 2019Grant (prize money)$2.8M
Founders & team
Investors
Bmbf, Cherry Ventures, UVC Partners, imec.xpand, L-Bank, Verve Ventures
Tech stack
Apache Http ServerApple Icloud MailBorlabs CookieCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementContact Form 7
#2
Seed · Munster, North Rhine Westphalia · founded 2020 · 23 employees$3.2Mraised▾
Seed · Munster, North Rhine Westphalia · founded 2020 · 23 employees
Provider of single-photon detectors. It designs and develops waveguide-integrated single-photon detectors based on superconducting nanowires that facilitate the detection of light quanta at the single-photon level. It caters to imaging and quantum cryptography applications.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 48how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 28%Innovation
top 33%Moat
top 37%Patents
top 38%Talent
top 38%Funding
top 41%Growth: Web rank 50,000,000 → 10,000,000 YoY · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Innovation: 18 patents (top 55% of patent-holders) · 18 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 · Deep-tech classification: Tech Hardware
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 18 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Audience (LinkedIn): 5k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships · 1 awards (incl. Sorbonne Université, Pasqal, ICFO, Institut d'Optique Graduate School and Pixel Photonics) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Apr 2026Grant (prize money)$2.9M
- Apr 2026Seed$5.8M
- Feb 2025Grant (prize money)$1M
- Aug 2023Seed$1.6M
Founders & team
Investors
HTGF, Quantonation, SPRIND, Futury Capital, European Innovation Council, Kensho VC
Tech stack
Apache Http ServerBootstrapHstsJqueryLazysizesMicrosoft 365
#3
Series B · Aachen, North Rhine Westphalia · founded 2020$280Mraised▾
Series B · Aachen, North Rhine Westphalia · founded 2020
Developer of graphene photonics technology for chip connectivity and data transfer. The company's technology integrates photonics and electronics on a single wafer. This enables faster, more efficient data transfer with reduced latency and energy consumption. The technology is designed for seamless manufacturing integration and scalability.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 55how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 30%Moat
top 31%Funding
top 36%Talent
top 38%Innovation
top 41%Patents
top 41%Growth: Web rank 10,000,000 → 5,000,000 YoY
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 18 patents · Soonicorn
Funding: Raised $280M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 6 yrs (0.7/yr) · Last round Series B (Jun 2024)
Audience (LinkedIn): 23k LinkedIn followers — 3.1% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
- Jun 2024Series B$27.6M
- Jun 2024Grant (prize money)$245.8M
- Jan 2021Grant (prize money)$968.8K
- 2020Seed$6.6M
Founders & team
Investors
Porsche Ventures, Scania Growth Capital, Capnamic Ventures, TechVision Fonds, NRW.Bank, VSquared Ventures
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailCalendlyCloudflareCore-JsGoogle AnalyticsGsap
#4
Seed · Berlin, Berlin · founded 2019 · 8 employees$15.7Mraised▾
Seed · Berlin, Berlin · founded 2019 · 8 employees
Developer of spectrometers. It designs and manufactures miniaturized QCL spectrometers for biomedical consumer devices and industrial applications.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 7how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 48%Talent
bottom 49%Global
bottom 37%Tech
bottom 25%Market
bottom 16%Funding: Raised $15.7M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 2 yrs (1.5/yr) · Last round Seed (Nov 2024)
Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated
Global: Investors from 2 countries beyond Germany
Audience (LinkedIn): 2k LinkedIn followers
Hiring (LinkedIn): 3 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Office & Feelgood Manager, Founders Associate
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Nov 2024Seed$9.1M
- Nov 2024Grant (prize money)$5.3M
- Jan 2024Grant (prize money)$1.3M
Founders & team
Investors
Europa, IBB, Point72 Ventures, VSquared Ventures, VIGO Ventures
#5
Series B · Berlin, Berlin · founded 2018$15.8Mraised▾
Series B · Berlin, Berlin · founded 2018
Provider of LiDAR sensors. The platform offers full stack of LiDAR sensing systems with include perception algorithms, data acquisition vehicle platforms, and sensor calibration software.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 24how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 45%Talent
bottom 49%Market
bottom 37%Global
bottom 36%Funding: Raised $15.8M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 4 yrs (0.2/yr) · Last round Series B (Jul 2024)
Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated
Funding rounds
- Jul 2024Series B—
- Nov 2022Series B—
- Jan 2022Series A$15.8M
Founders & team
Investors
China Merchants Capital, E-Town International Investment & Development, Yizhuang State Investment, SDIC, ArcSoft, Langmafeng Venture Capital
#6
Acquired · Munich, Bavaria · founded 2016 · 109 employees$39.2Mraised▾
Acquired · Munich, Bavaria · founded 2016 · 109 employees
Manufacturer of three-dimensional light detection and ranging sensors and software. These sensors are used for object detection and real-time analysis. The company's sensors are suitable for applications including people flow analysis, traffic monitoring, and industrial automation. The business also provides sensors for security and volume measurement applications.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 62how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 15%News
top 28%Moat
top 29%Growth
top 35%Patents
top 36%Funding
top 38%Talent: Analyst team rating 5/5
News: 4 BI events in 12 mo (of 23 tracked, 5 types) · Top themes: M&A, Contracts
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 113 patents · 10 curated direct competitors tracked
Audience (LinkedIn): 10k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Dec 2023Series B$8.2M
- Jul 2022Conventional Debt$15M
- May 2022Grant (prize money)$53.8K
- Dec 2021Series A—
Investors
European Investment Bank, Continental, Bayern Kapital, FLUXUNIT, HTGF, TEV Ventures
Tech stack
Borlabs CookieCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementElementorGoogle WorkspaceLazysizes
#7
Series A · Berlin, Berlin · founded 2021 · 9 employees$2.5Mraised▾
Series A · Berlin, Berlin · founded 2021 · 9 employees
Provider of optical general-purpose processors. It designs and develops multi-purpose optical reduced instruction set computer(RISC) processors. It also offers design automation software that enables users to design photonic chips, and perform RTL to GDSII workflows. Its features include optical computing, high-performance networking, optical gates, and compatibility with quantum computers.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 35%Talent
top 38%Moat
top 42%Innovation
top 44%Patents
top 45%Funding
top 49%Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 4/10 · IP moat: 13 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Audience (LinkedIn): 6k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Nov 2024Series A$6.3M
- Jul 2023Seed$2.5M
- Mar 2022Seed—
Founders & team
Investors
Interface Capital, Rheingau Founders, Runa Capital, Matterwave Ventures, 468 Capital, Bayern Kapital
Tech stack
CloudflareHstsHttp/3JqueryLottiefilesMicrosoft 365
#8
Acquired · Bruchsal, Baden Wurttemberg · founded 2008 · 116 employees$80Mraised▾
Acquired · Bruchsal, Baden Wurttemberg · founded 2008 · 116 employees
Cynora develops blue organic light-emitting diode (OLED) emitters. The company's focus is on the TADF (thermally activated delayed fluorescence) technology, which it claims to help achieve efficient blue emission and allows the development of OLEDs displays with significantly reduced power consumption while simultaneously improving display resolution.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 53how this company ranks against its industry peers
Product
top 26%Patents
top 28%Moat
top 28%Talent
top 28%Innovation
top 33%Funding
top 35%Product: 4 distinct product lines · Company stage: Acquired
Patents: 842 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 85 filings since 2022 vs 563 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2024
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 5/10 · IP moat: 842 patents
Funding rounds
- May 2019Series C$25M
- Jan 2019Grant (prize money)$31.6K
- Sep 2017Series B$30M
- Jan 2015Grant (prize money)$544K
Investors
LG Display, Samsung Venture Investment, MIG Fonds, Dboled, SRF Partners Group, Wecken & Cie
Tech stack
WordpressMysqlPhpContact Form 7Yoast SeoApache Http Server
#9
Acquired · Germany · founded 2001 · 92 employees$5.6Mraised▾
Acquired · Germany · founded 2001 · 92 employees
Manufacturer of automated assembly and testing systems for photonic devices. The company's systems serve industries including telecom, datacom, and automotive. The company offers solutions for device development, product introduction, and high-volume production. The company's equipment design uses a modular approach to meet customer-defined processes.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 48how this company ranks against its industry peers
Fin. health
top 34%Growth
top 45%Market
top 50%Funding
bottom 49%Talent
bottom 49%Tech
bottom 43%Fin. health: Revenue ~$48.1M (FY2021) · Net margin 0.0% · Revenue 8.5x total funding
Market: 92 employees (top 40% of Semiconductors) · Revenue ~$48.1M · Top-10,000,000 web property
Audience (LinkedIn): 6k LinkedIn followers
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public)
Funding rounds
- Mar 2023Grant (prize money)$347.5K
- Jan 2021Grant (prize money)$470.7K
- Jan 2019Grant (prize money)$2.4M
- Oct 2018Grant (prize money)$666.8K
Founders & team
Investors
Europa, ELAS, JAC Capital, Tehnopol, Robo Technik
Tech stack
Apache Http ServerBootstrapBorlabs CookieContact Form 7Font AwesomeGodaddy
#10
Series C · Dortmund, North Rhine Westphalia · founded 2003 · 51 employees$27.9Mraised▾
Series C · Dortmund, North Rhine Westphalia · founded 2003 · 51 employees
Manufacturer of quantum‑dot and diode lasers for photonic applications. The company designs, develops, and produces a broad range of semiconductor laser diodes—including single‑mode, multi‑mode, distributed‑feedback, Fabry‑Pérot, and comb lasers—as well as optical amplifiers and turnkey systems. It operates a fully integrated production process from epitaxial wafer growth to packaging and module fabrication. Devices leverage GaAs-based quantum well and quantum dot technologies across wavelengths spanning near‑infrared ranges. Applications include medical diagnostics, optical communications, industrial processing, scientific research, and AI-related cloud networking. The platform supports customization for mid-volume and high-volume production, with in‑house characterization and quality assurance. Manufacturing is conducted in Germany with distributed global distribution and technical support.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 48how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 25%Product
top 25%Moat
top 25%Innovation
top 32%Funding
top 40%Tech
top 41%Patents: 54 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 14 filings since 2022 vs 2 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Product: 11 distinct product lines · Company stage: Series C
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 54 patents
Audience (LinkedIn): 3k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 1 partnerships (incl. Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC)) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Feb 2020Grant (prize money)$294K
- Jan 2020Grant (prize money)$636.1K
- Jan 2019Grant (prize money)$466.8K
- Feb 2017Grant (prize money)$268.3K
Investors
Europa, Kfw, NRW.Bank, PolyTechnos Venture Partners, S Venture Capital Dortmund, Peppermint
Tech stack
AhrefsApache Http ServerAutoptimizeCart FunctionalityCookiebotGodaddy
#11
Funding Raised · Grafelfing, Bavaria · founded 1998 · 277 employees$11.5Mraised▾
Funding Raised · Grafelfing, Bavaria · founded 1998 · 277 employees
TOPTICA Photonics manufactures diode and ultrafast fiber lasers for scientific and industrial applications. It works in a HeNe wavelength range of 633 nm and the corresponding system provides an output of 50 mW. It also provides Ytterbium-doped or Erbium-doped fiber laser architecture. Its tetrahertz system works at peak dynamic range of more than 90 dB and a bandwidth greater than 5 THz. It caters to multiple applications including biophotonics, manufacturing, sensing, microscopy, metrology, astronomy and geology.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 53how this company ranks against its industry peers
Patents
top 31%Moat
top 35%Tech
top 37%Innovation
top 40%Growth
top 45%Market
top 48%Patents: 181 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 30 filings since 2022 vs 54 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2026
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 5/10 · IP moat: 181 patents · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Tech: 31 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare · Devops: Nginx
Audience (LinkedIn): 24k LinkedIn followers — 3.3% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 2 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Sep 2021Grant (prize money)$58.2K
- Mar 2020Grant (prize money)$294.5K
- Apr 2019Grant (prize money)$2.8M
- Oct 2018Grant (prize money)$3.2M
Founders & team
Investors
EIC Fund, Europa
Tech stack
Apache Http ServerCdnjsCloudflareEtrackerGoogle AdsGoogle Ads Conversion Tracking
#12
Series B · Singen, Baden Wurttemberg · founded 1999 · 41 employees$41.3Mraised▾
Series B · Singen, Baden Wurttemberg · founded 1999 · 41 employees
LightCross developed proprietary silicon integrated circuit technologies for enabling optical networking and switching components. LightCross had merged with Arroyo Optics in 2003. Claimed to have features including reduced network costs, enhanced network flexibility, network scalability and minimized craft sensitivity in network operations.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 21how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 46%Talent
bottom 45%Market
bottom 38%Global
bottom 38%Growth
bottom 25%Funding: Raised $41.3M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 26 yrs (0.1/yr) · Last round Series B (Aug 2001)
Talent: 1 named leader on record
Market: 41 employees
Funding rounds
- Aug 2001Series B$30M
- Oct 2000Conventional Debt$7M
- Jul 2000Series A$11.3M
Founders & team
Investors
J P Morgan, Arch Venture Partners, Fuse Capital, Comdisco, Ritek Corporation, Asia Optical
Funding & investor landscape
$729.2Mtotal disclosed funding
40companies funded
113disclosed rounds
1rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Notable founders
Michael Fortsch
CEO · Q.ANT
Nicolai Walter
Co-Founder & CEO · Pixel Photonics
Christoph Seidenstucker
Co-Founder & CFO · Pixel Photonics
Sebastian Schall
Co-Founder & CFO · Black Semiconductor
Daniel Schall
Co-Founder & CEO · Black Semiconductor
Jan Kischkat
Co-Founder & CEO · Quantune Technologies
Xueming Ju
Founder & CEO · LiangDao
Leonardo Bino
Co-Founder · Akhetonics
Michael Kissner
Founder · Akhetonics
Torsten Vahrenkamp
Founder & CEO · Ficontec
Frank Lison
Managing Director (Ceo) And Co-Founder · Toptica Photonics
Robert Barron
CEO · Light Cross
Prism market signals · Germany · country-scoped Prism corpus, 2,082,193 docs
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
RESEARCH SIGNALS · Germany
How research on Photonics & Optoelectronics is moving in Germany
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 2,695 Germany-affiliated papers.
research sentiment over time
200820152026
enthusiastic · positive · guarded tone
Tone is overwhelmingly optimistic and intensifying — the enthusiastic (strongly-positive) share moved 48% → 59% across 2008–2026.
top research entities
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology117
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie104
- Institute for Advanced Study103
- Center for NanoScience89
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg87
leading researchers
Markus Antonietti · Corrado Carta · Lutz Kirste · N. N. Ledentsov · M. A. Kinch · Harald Gießen · Dimitrios Hariskos · Andrea Malignaggi
▲
Breakthroughs1,376 · 51%
▲ 42%→52% share
▲1.2× share momentum0 median citations91% since 2021mostly methods-led
Laser research is surging — German photonics breakthrough papers grew 36-fold (3→108), now anchoring a field-share jump from 42% to 52%.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Laser3→108
- Fabrication3→79
- Perovskite (structure)7→76
- Quantum dot1→59
- Ultrashort pulse1→56
Newly emergingElectrode 0→42 · Optical fiber 0→33 · Neuromorphic engineering 0→30
Landmark Infrared Perfect Absorber and Its Application As Plasmonic Sensor · 2,803 cites
◆
Advancements844 · 31%
▲ 29%→32% share
▲1.1× share momentum0 median citations91% since 2021mostly empirical
Fabrication advancement papers rose 33-fold (2→66), with Epitaxy and Passivation newly emerging as structured sub-topics.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Laser2→84
- Fabrication2→66
- Perovskite (structure)6→47
- Electrode2→39
- Diode2→37
Newly emergingTransistor 0→31 · Epitaxy 0→25 · Passivation 0→25
Landmark Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 on TiO2 and Other Semiconductors · 2,893 cites
▼
Concerns129 · 5%
▼ 6%→5% share
▼0.8× share momentum0 median citations87% since 2021mostly empirical
Perovskite structural concerns are newly flagged at 16 papers, signalling reliability questions shadowing its simultaneous breakthrough momentum.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
- Laser1→9
- Silicon1→8
- Diode1→7
- Solar cell1→6
- Semiconductor1→4
Newly emergingPerovskite (structure) 0→16 · Electrode 0→9 · Photovoltaic system 0→8
Landmark Perspective on the Development of Lead‐free Piezoceramics · 2,887 cites
RESEARCH HOTSPOTS · Germany
Where photonics is researched across Germany
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.
Berlin227 · +0.59
Jülich/Bonn158 · +0.62
Munich144 · +0.63
Dresden131 · +0.61
Karlsruhe121 · +0.61
Aachen88 · +0.62
Stuttgart57 · +0.63
Heidelberg39 · +0.61
PATENT SIGNAL · Germany
Who's filing photonics patents in Germany
Germany photonics patent filing is accelerating — 19,477 filings from 7,035 assignees (2016–2025), led by Merck Patent, Osram OPTO Semiconductors, Fraunhofer GES Forschung; annual filings 1781→1955.
19,477 filings7,035 assigneespeak 2147/yr2016–2025
filing momentum (YoY 2016–2025)
top patent filers
- Merck Patent3534
- Osram OPTO Semiconductors3191
- Fraunhofer GES Forschung1444
- Robert Bosch953
- Schott816
- Siemens725
- AMS Osram INT632
- Osram458
Common questions
How many Photonics companies are there in Germany?
Radar tracks 128 indexable Photonics companies headquartered in Germany that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Photonics companies in Germany?
The Photonics companies in Germany on this list have raised a combined $729.2M in disclosed equity funding across 40 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Photonics company in Germany?
Black Semiconductor is the highest-funded Photonics company in Germany, with $280M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Photonics companies in Germany are funded?
40 of the 128 Photonics companies in Germany on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Photonics unicorns are there in Germany?
None of the Photonics companies in Germany on this list currently has a disclosed valuation of $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in Germany Photonics companies?
The most active investors in Germany Photonics companies on this list include Europa, HTGF, Bayern Kapital, EIC Fund, Bmbf.
Riya SenguptaFinancials
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.