Best Photonics Companies in New York, United States
The 38 best Photonics companies in New York, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: AIM Photonics.
Ranked: Best Photonics companies in New York
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | Web popularity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AIM Photonics Provider of silicon photonics manufacturing, design enablement, prototyping, testing, and packaging | $321M | 58 mo ago | — | Mingxiu Sun Co-Founder | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+21 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 2 | Nanotronics Provider of an automated vision-based inspection system | $136M | 52 mo ago | 94 | Matthew Putman Founder & CEO | — | — | 5 patents Self-assembling photonic/electronic nanostructures for advanced imaging and sensor devices | — |
| 3 | eMagin Leading US manufacturer of OLED microdisplays for diverse applications | $69M | 13 mo ago | 109 | Andrew Sculley President & CEO | SalesforceBootstrapFont Awesome+9 | Top 50M | 222 patents Patents concentrated in chemistry & materials | — |
| 4 | Xscape Photonics Developer of photonic chips for high speed connections in data centers and performance computing systems 48Funding top 25%Talent top 28%Growth top 30%Patents top 35% All 10 signals ▾Fundingtop 25% Talenttop 28% Growthtop 30% Patentstop 35% Moattop 43% Innovationtop 44% Newsbottom 49% Globalbottom 40% Techbottom 39% Marketbottom 22% Funding: Raised $57.0M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 4 yrs (1.0/yr) Talent: 4 named leaders on record · 4 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $57M | 6 mo ago | 9 | Keren Bergman Co-Founder | WebflowGSAPjQuery+7 | Top 10M | 23 patents Photonic integrated circuits for wavelength-division multiplexed switching and on-chip laser modules | — |
| 5 | Advion Mass spectrometry, chromatography, and purification solutions for scientific advancement | $46M | 146 mo ago | 54 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+18 | Top 10M | 32 patents Advanced ionization and surface sampling technologies for mass spectrometry analysis | — |
| 6 | BinOptics Monolithically integrated optoelectronic components | $46M | 164 mo ago | 60 | — | — | — | 137 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 7 | OLEDWorks Manufacturer of organic light-emitting diode lighting solutions for various applications 82Patents top 14%AI top 15%Funding top 28%Talent top 28% All 12 signals ▾Patentstop 14% AItop 15% Fundingtop 28% Talenttop 28% Innovationtop 30% Growthtop 31% Techtop 31% Moattop 32% Producttop 46% Globaltop 49% Marketbottom 44% Newsbottom 21% Patents: 94 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 58 filings since 2022 vs 27 in 2017-21 AI: Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 82/100 | $31M | 14 mo ago | 73 73 → 147 (+101%) | David DeJoy Co-Founder & Chairman | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+27 | Top 5M | 94 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | 1 launch |
| 8 | Princeton Optronics Innovating light and sensor solutions for automotive, industrial, medical, mobile, and computing | $30M | 126 mo ago | 37 | Andy Quinn CEO | — | — | 117 patents High‑density VCSEL arrays with narrow‑beam emission and integrated illumination/sensing packages. | — |
| 9 | Voyant Photonics Manufacturer of 3D sensing chip based on CMOS 42Innovation top 29%Moat top 32%Patents top 33%Funding top 34% All 8 signals ▾Innovationtop 29% Moattop 32% Patentstop 33% Fundingtop 34% Talenttop 38% Techbottom 34% Marketbottom 32% Globalbottom 31% Innovation: 58 patents (top 47% of patent-holders) · 55 filings since 2022 vs 3 in 2017-21 Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 58 patents rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 42/100 | $23M | 6 mo ago | 30 | Chris Phare Co-Founder & CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+9 | Top 10M | 58 patents Integrated photonic beamforming and signal processing for compact, high‑resolution LiDAR systems. | — |
| 10 | Crystal IS Manufacturer of deep UV-C LEDs | $16M | 213 mo ago | — | Larry Felton CEO & President | — | — | 232 patents Deep‑UV transparent AlN crystal substrates and UV germicidal disinfection systems | — |
| 11 | Crystal IS Manufacturer of aluminum nitride UVC LEDs and related disinfection systems | $15M | 186 mo ago | 46 | Glen Slack Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+26 | Top 5M | 232 patents Deep‑UV transparent AlN crystal substrates and UV germicidal disinfection systems | — |
| 12 | Micatu Provider of voltage, current and vibration sensors for smart grid infrastructure | $10M | 68 mo ago | 60 | — | HubSpot CMS HubAnimate.csscore-js+21 | Top 50M | 83 patents Optical electric-field sensors and high‑speed telemetry for power‑grid monitoring | — |
| 13 | Sydor Technologies High tech imaging devices and ballistics testing equipment | $9M | 17 mo ago | 16 | Michael Pavia President & CEO | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+34 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 14 | AGR Provider of optical sensor-based spectrometers for agricultural applications 5Funding top 44%Global bottom 29%Market bottom 8% All 3 signals ▾Fundingtop 44% Globalbottom 29% Marketbottom 8% Funding: Raised $2.3M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 3 yrs (0.7/yr) Global: Single-market focus (United States) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 5/100 | $2M | 4 mo ago | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Chromation Spectral sensor using photonic crystals | $2M | 98 mo ago | 9 | Marshall Cox Founder & Advisor | — | — | 18 patents Compact optical spectroscopy instruments using folded optics and nanostructured sensors. | — |
| 16 | New Scale Technologies Developer of closed-loop positioning solutions | $784K | 127 mo ago | 25 25 → 31 (+24%) | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+29 | Top 5M | 51 patents Precision electromechanical actuation for optical beam steering and haptic devices | 1 launch |
| 17 | Labby Provider of IoT-enabled food analyzer systems | $480K | 60 mo ago | 3 | Anshuman Das Co-Founder & CEO | DudaYouTubeReact+21 | Top 50M | 6 patents Automated dairy milk composition analysis using sensor‑based, mobile‑device fluid testing | — |
Top 12 Photonics companies in New York
#1
Series A · New York City, New York · founded 2022 · 9 employees$57Mraised▾
Developer of photonic chips for high speed connections in data centers and performance computing systems. The company's chips connect various computing elements by using photonics to reduce power consumption, enabling businesses and research institutions with faster, more energy-efficient data processing.
- Mar 2026Series A$37M
- Oct 2024Series A$44M
- Aug 2023Seed$3M
- Aug 2022Seed$10M
#2
Series A · New York City, New York · founded 2017 · 30 employees$23Mraised▾
Manufacturer of 3D sensing chip based on CMOS. It creates LIDAR-based sensor chips solutions for 3D sensing. It provides a range of imaging sensors for multiple applications. The image sensors offered by the company caters to multiple applications including cars, drones, robots, factories, your home, and mobile phones.
- Mar 2026Conventional Debt$1M
- Jul 2023Series A$3.2M
- Feb 2021Series A$15.5M
- Jul 2019Seed$4.3M
#3
Acquired · Hopewell Junction, New York · founded 1996 · 109 employees$69Mraised▾
Leading US manufacturer of OLED microdisplays for diverse applications. They design, develop, and manufacture active-matrix Organic LED microdisplays on silicon, offering superior image performance compared to LCD technologies. Their microdisplays cater to military, medical, commercial, industrial, and consumer markets, including AR/VR applications. They integrate OLED technology with silicon chips to produce high-resolution displays, creating virtual images comparable to computer monitors. Their technology offers high brightness, reliability, low weight, superior resolution, and environmental stability. They collaborate on research and design projects, advancing OLED microdisplay technology with initiatives like chemical stacks and direct patterning of color pixels. They offer solutions for night-vision systems, medical devices, law enforcement, firefighting, scopes, and consumer AR/VR headsets.
- Jul 2025Grant (prize money)$33.6M
- Feb 2018Post IPO$10M
- Aug 2016Post IPO$4.5M
- Dec 2015Post IPO$6M
#4
Series A · Rochester, New York · founded 2010 · 73 employees$30.6Mraised▾
Manufacturer of organic light-emitting diode lighting solutions for various applications. The company provides products for automotive, microdisplay, and embedded lighting. It offers standard and custom products. The company focuses on energy-efficient lighting solutions. It also emphasizes responsible mineral sourcing in its supply chain.
- Jun 2025Venture Debt$34.8M
- Feb 2025Series A—
- Jun 2021Grant (prize money)$200K
- Jan 2019Series A$12.8M
#5
Funding Raised · Rochester, New York · founded 2020 · 3 employees$2.3Mraised▾
Provider of optical sensing technology intended for precise identification. The company aims to democratize sensors by integrating detectors with its proprietary optical scanning platform, Spectre, built for IoT systems, enabling lab-grade material identification to the field.
- Apr 2026Grant (prize money)$2M
- Feb 2023Grant (prize money)$255.8K
#6
Funding Raised · Rochester, New York · founded 2004 · 16 employees$9.1Mraised▾
Sydor Technologies develops imaging devices and ballistics devices. The company has two operating units namely Sydor Instruments and Sabre Ballistics. Sydor Instruments specializes in developing imaging detectors with products such as streak cameras, X-ray beam monitors, X-ray detectors etc. Sabre Ballistics provides ballistic testing equipment and services for ammunition developers. Their products are used in a wire range of industries such as aerospace, life sciences, energy etc.
- Apr 2025Grant (prize money)$2.5M
- Oct 2022Grant (prize money)$1.1M
- May 2022Grant (prize money)—
- Feb 2021Grant (prize money)$200K
#7
Funding Raised · Albany, New York · founded 2015$321Mraised▾
Provider of silicon photonics manufacturing, design enablement, prototyping, testing, and packaging. They offer multi-project wafers to shorten design time and improve manufacturing efficiency. The organization provides accessible technology on-ramps for small and medium enterprises to develop products and services. It offers access to services across the silicon photonics development cycle. The company also focuses on education and workforce development.
- Oct 2021Grant (prize money)$321M
#8
Series E · Brooklyn, New York · founded 2009 · 94 employees$136.3Mraised▾
Developer of robotic industrial microscopic devices designed to improve industrial image inspection and analysis. The company's ML and AI-based devices leverage optical microscopy, 3D imaging, and computational super-resolution and offer automatic wafer handling, rapid scanning, defect reports, and wafer mosaicing, enabling aerospace, electronics, and pharmaceutical industries to accelerate the inspection of wafers and images while eliminating illusions.
#9
Acquired · Ithaca, New York · founded 1993 · 54 employees$45.6Mraised▾
Mass spectrometry, chromatography, and purification solutions for scientific advancement. The company delivers tailored solutions for identification, quantification, and purification needs. Their portfolio includes instruments, consumables, reagents, and scientific expertise. They offer media, columns, accessories, and instruments for flash chromatography, preparative (U)HPLC, analytical (U)HPLC, mass spectrometry, and ICP-MS, coupled with intelligent apps and software. They serve academic, pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and clinical clients worldwide. The company focuses on purpose-built products that improve workflows for the life science industry. They provide solutions for reaction monitoring, compound identification, cannabis and hemp testing, protein and peptide analysis, and elemental analysis. They offer resources like application notes and webinars. The company is dedicated to providing best-in-class service and support.
- Jun 2014Series D$1.5M
- Jun 2014Conventional Debt—
- Nov 2013Series D$9.2M
- Aug 2007Series C$9.1M
#10
Acquired · Ithaca, New York · founded 2000 · 60 employees$45.6Mraised▾
BinOptics manufactures monolithically integrated optoelectronic components based on indium phosphide and other semiconductor materials. Its products include edge-emitting and surface-emitting Fabry Perot lasers, DFB lasers, and lasers with integrated monitoring photodiodes. It also develops custom integrated microphotonic solutions for optical systems and subsystems. BinOptics’ expertise is based around the so-called “etched facet technology” (EFT) process – a high-yielding lithographic method for making laser diodes on a variety of semiconductor materials. The company was acquired by Macom in 2014.
- Dec 2012Series D$4M
- Dec 2011Series D$13.3M
- Aug 2011Conventional Debt$800K
- Apr 2011Conventional Debt$4.8M
#11
Acquired · New York City, New York · founded 1993 · 37 employees$30Mraised▾
Innovating light and sensor solutions for automotive, industrial, medical, mobile, and computing. The company is a global leader providing LEDs, lasers, photodetectors, sensor solutions, and interfaces. Their products cater to diverse applications including automotive & mobility, industrial automation, medical & health, mobile & wearables, and lighting. They offer a wide range of products such as LEDs, LED drivers, lasers, photodiodes, optical modules, and sensor solutions like ambient light, color, spectral & proximity sensors, direct time-of-flight sensors, CMOS image sensors, capacitive sensors, and temperature sensors. The company focuses on innovation in areas like optical force sensing, photon counting, and LED technology. They serve various industries including automotive, industrial, medical, mobile, lighting, and computing, providing solutions for applications like static and dynamic lighting, ambient light sensing, in-cabin sensing, exterior sensing for ADAS, robotics, home & building automation, medical imaging, display management, authentication, camera enhancement, and vital sign monitoring.
- Feb 2016Grant (prize money)$150K
- Feb 2015Grant (prize money)$1.1M
- Oct 2014Grant (prize money)$500K
- Jun 2014Grant (prize money)$1.1M
#12
Series A · Horseheads, New York · founded 2011 · 60 employees$10Mraised▾
Micatu offers advanced sensor-based solutions for grid management. It offers 'GridView' - an advanced monitoring system that includes the grid view medium voltage (MV) sensor, PHOVIS vibrational sensors, and the grid processor which can support up to three channels of voltage and current measurements and eight channels of temperature or vibration measurement sensors in any configuration.
- Jan 2021Series A$10M
- Dec 2016Grant (prize money)$1M
- Jul 2014Grant (prize money)$1.5M
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 States
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 8,187 United States-affiliated papers.
- Stanford University214
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology198
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory171
- Georgia Institute of Technology164
- Purdue University West Lafayette150
- Fabrication19→275
- Laser14→203
- Perovskite (structure)46→234
- Heterojunction26→197
- Polarization (electrochemistry)7→150
- Fabrication14→141
- Laser7→134
- Electrode10→95
- Transistor11→95
- Thin film6→86
- Perovskite (structure)10→33
- Fabrication3→23
- Laser2→21
- Transistor1→18
- Heterojunction2→15
Where photonics is researched across United States
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 States
United States photonics patent filing is cooling — 101,098 filings from 8,000 assignees (2016–2025), led by 3M Innovative Properties, Corning, Commscope Technologies; annual filings 9203→8562.
- 3M Innovative Properties5567
- Corning5261
- Commscope Technologies3962
- Apple3436
- ADC Telecommunications2921
- Magic LEAP2911
- Intel2710
- E INK2587
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.