Best Photonics Companies in United Kingdom
The 93 best Photonics companies in United Kingdom in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Oxford Photovoltaics.
Ranking the best Photonics companies in the United Kingdom by disclosed equity funding, this directory covers 93 tracked firms sitting on $692M in total capital raised. No unicorns yet. But the numbers tell a story worth reading. Optalysys leads the pack at $32M, followed by Lumai at $14M and Salience Labs at $12M, three names that between them account for a meaningful slice of the sector's disclosed base. The global photonics market was valued at roughly $911.5B in 2023 and is forecast to reach $1.6T by 2033, a 6.11% CAGR driven by biophotonics adoption in healthcare and accelerating R&D spend. I'd flag that silicon photonics fabrication and integrated silicon photonics ICs are where you'll see the most activity right now.
The UK cohort is early-stage by global standards, but momentum is real. Coverage is rising, hot themes cluster around silicon photonics devices and chip-level integration, and a recent $65M raise for Flightspeed Photonics signals that institutional appetite for the sector isn't cooling. Active investors here include Oxford Science Enterprises, Foresight Group, and Scottish Enterprise, a mix of deep-tech specialists and regional development money that reflects how seriously the UK is treating photonics as infrastructure. What that means for you is a funding landscape that rewards founders with validated hardware, not just pitch decks.
- 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 United Kingdom
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founded | 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%) | 2010 | Henry Snaith Co-Founder | WebflowApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+18 | 155 patents Perovskite multijunction solar cell fabrication and deposition processes | 1 job opening |
| 2 | ONI Biotechnology company specializing in super-resolution microscopy systems | $113M | 54 mo ago | 143 | 2016 | Achillefs Kapanidis Co-Founder | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+29 | — | 3 launchs |
| 3 | Intense Photonics Manufacturer of diversified diode lasers | $34M | 254 mo ago | 34 | 1999 | Kevin Laughlin CEO | — | 16 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 4 | 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 | 2013 | Robert Todd Co-Founder & Chief Technical Officer | — | 97 patents Optical computing hardware for high‑precision Fourier and number‑theoretic transforms. | 1 job opening |
| 5 | M Squared Developer of light-sheet microscopy systems for multiple business verticals | $31M | 66 mo ago | 110 | 2006 | Vinor Zukhubaia Co-Founder | BootstrapApache HTTP ServerGoogle Ads+13 | 10 patents AI-driven secure access control hardware and blockchain-based identity verification solutions. | — |
| 6 | Phyworks High performance ICs for datacom and telecom applications | $24M | 273 mo ago | 2 | 2001 | Stephen King Co-Founder & CEO | — | 27 patents Adaptive digital RF receivers and equalizer technologies for wireless communication systems. | — |
| 7 | MicroEmissive Displays Group Polymer organic light emitting diode technology provider | $23M | 225 mo ago | 38 | 1999 | Bill Campbell ex-CEO | — | 34 patents Pixel driving circuits and manufacturing processes for micro‑emissive OLED displays. | — |
| 8 | Living Optics Developers of a hyperspectral imager to capture images beyond the visible spectrum | $23M | 44 mo ago | 14 | 2020 | Steve Chappell Co-Founder & CTO | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+29 | 16 patents Advanced hyperspectral imaging hardware and optical relay/dispersive system technologies. | — |
| 9 | ORCA Developer of photonic quantum computing systems for machine learning applications | $19M | 48 mo ago | 28 28 → 39 (+39%) | 2019 | Ian Walmsley Co-Founder & Chairman | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+26 | — | 1 partnership |
| 10 | Optoscribe Developer of 3D glass-based photonic integrated circuits | $15M | 59 mo ago | 32 | 2010 | Nick Psaila Co-Founder & CTO | — | 21 patents Precision optical fiber alignment and laser-based microfabrication of optical components. | — |
| 11 | Lumai Developer of 3D optical computing processors for AI data centers | $14M | 14 mo ago | — | 2022 | Tom Barrett Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | 2 patents Analog computing architectures for high‑speed, low‑power signal processing and AI acceleration | — |
| 12 | Oxsensis Manufacturer of SF6 gas handling and monitoring equipment | $13M | 195 mo ago | 25 | 2003 | Alexander Wiegand Managing Director | — | 63 patents High‑precision optical pressure and interferometric sensing technologies | — |
| 13 | Salience Labs Developer of optical circuit switches for artificial intelligence infrastructure networking | $12M | 17 mo ago | 11 | 2021 | Johannes Feldmann Co-Founder and CTO at Salience Labs | WordPressMySQLPHP+14 | 28 patents Optical coupling and switching components for photonic interconnects and clock distribution | — |
| 14 | Mirico Developer of methane gas sensing systems | $11M | 24 mo ago | 16 16 → 25 (+56%) | 2015 | Bob Flint Chief Executive Officer | — | 8 patents Laser-based chirped-pulse dispersion spectrometry for precise chemical and material analysis | 1 partnership |
| 15 | Edinburgh Molecular Imaging Developer of fluorescent imaging systems based on molecular imaging technology | $11M | 78 mo ago | 7 | 2014 | Mark Bradley Co-Founder | — | 13 patents Radiopharmaceutical agents for c-Met targeted imaging and theranostic cancer treatment | — |
| 16 | Lumenisity Provider of fiber optic cable solutions | $10M | 68 mo ago | 43 | 2016 | — | WordPress Block EditorBeaver BuilderWordPress+18 | 18 patents Fiber optic cable manufacturing, division, splicing, and termination technologies. | — |
| 17 | Vivosight Provider of optical coherence tomography diagnostic device for dermatology | $9M | 136 mo ago | 11 | 2006 | Jonathan Holmes CEO | — | — | — |
| 18 | Microcosm Communications CMOS ICs for optical networking and communication products | $8M | 323 mo ago | 50 | 1995 | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | Crypto Quantique Developer of quantum-resistant solutions for cybersecurity | $8M | 73 mo ago | 29 29 → 37 (+28%) | 2016 | — | — | 53 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 20 | Cron AI Developer of deep learning software for processing live sensor data | $7M | 61 mo ago | 13 | 2015 | Tushar Chhabra Cofounder and CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+21 | 10 patents Video background subtraction and object detection for real‑time scene analysis | 4 launchs · 1 partnership |
| 21 | Vector Photonics Developer of photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers for various applications | $7M | 24 mo ago | 7 | 2020 | Richard Taylor Co-Founder & CTO | WordPressMySQLPHP+12 | 26 patents Integrated photonic circuits and surface‑emitting laser devices for optical communications. | 1 launch |
| 22 | Opsydia Developer of laser inscription technology for photonics and gemstones | $7M | 45 mo ago | 13 13 → 28 (+115%) | 2017 | Martin Booth Co-Founder | Craft CMSPHPYii+15 | 26 patents Laser-based internal material machining and optical inspection/inscription of gemstones. | 6 job openings |
| 23 | Microsaic Systems Developer of MEMS-based mass spectrometry systems | $6M | 29 mo ago | 22 | 2001 | Eric Yeatman Consultant And Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+20 | 180 patents Ion funnel and plasma ionisation technologies enhancing liquid sample mass spectrometry performance. | — |
| 24 | Kubos Developer of high end LEDs for various application | $6M | 25 mo ago | 5 | 2017 | Caroline O'brien CEO | — | — | — |
| 25 | Chromacity Provider of tunable fiber lasers for industrial applications | $5M | 22 mo ago | 12 | 2013 | — | — | — | — |
| 26 | Aegiq Provider of quantum photonics hardware for communications | $5M | 36 mo ago | 5 | 2019 | 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 |
| 27 | SMi Developer of a single molecule imaging tool for research and clinical diagnostics | $5M | 36 mo ago | 15 | 2018 | Andrew Thompson Founder & Director | — | — | 1 partnership |
| 28 | CamGraPhIC Developer of graphene-based photonic circuits | $4M | 2 mo ago | 1 | 2018 | — | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+17 | — | — |
| 29 | Photonic Measurements UV-Vis spectrophotometers and clinical analyzers for diagnostic applications | $4M | 18 mo ago | 8 | 2014 | Vincent McCorry Co-Founder | — | 2 patents Optical turbidity sensing for water quality monitoring | — |
| 30 | Zero Point Motion Provider of diversified MEMS-based optical sensors | $3M | 15 mo ago | 2 | 2020 | Lia Li Founder & CEO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+13 | 24 patents Miniaturized photonic inertial measurement units and displacement sensors for MEMS navigation | — |
| 31 | Q-Technologies Mass spectrometry systems | $3M | 84 mo ago | — | 2002 | Steve Taylor Managing Director | — | — | — |
| 32 | Polar OLED Provider of liquid crystal-based polymer materials | $3M | 123 mo ago | 2 | 2008 | Steve Kelly Co-Founder | — | 4 patents OLED substrate materials and manufacturing processes for OLED devices | — |
| 33 | ROADMap Systems Provider of multiplexers and demultiplexers for active optical networks | $3M | 96 mo ago | 6 | 2013 | — | — | 24 patents Space-division multiplexed, wavelength-selective optical switching hardware for telecom networks | — |
| 34 | Oxford HighQ developer of chemical and nanoparticle sensors | $2M | 91 mo ago | 17 | 2017 | Jason Smith Co-Founder & Director | — | 11 patents High‑precision optical microcavity sensors and alignment structures for photonic measurement systems | — |
| 35 | Axenic Developer of gallium arsenide based electro-optic modulator device | $2M | 8 mo ago | 7 | 2015 | Steve Clements Founder & CEO | — | 20 patents High‑speed electro‑optic modulators and integrated photonic waveguide components | — |
| 36 | CRIL Developer of AI-assisted cell analysis and tissue diagnosis devices | $2M | 49 mo ago | 1 | 2018 | Giulio Cerullo Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+14 | — | — |
| 37 | Northern Light Microscopy Manufacturer of modular imaging hardware and associated light control software | $1M | 2 mo ago | — | 2023 | Ralf Bauer Co-Founder & CTO | — | — | 1 job opening |
| 38 | Andor Technology Manufacturer of scientific cameras, microscopy systems, spectrographs, and optical cryostats | $1M | 132 mo ago | 57 | 1989 | Mike Pringle Co-Founder | — | 11 patents Calibration and performance enhancement of electron‑multiplying CCD spectrometers | — |
| 39 | CST Global Provider of active and passive optical network components | $991K | 100 mo ago | 76 | 2016 | — | — | — | — |
| 40 | Elodiz Developer of multichannel Raman spectroscopy devices and accessories | $754K | 67 mo ago | — | 2012 | — | WordPressMicrosoft WordMySQL+17 | 3 patents Marine vessel cleaning technologies and Raman spectroscopy calibration standards. | 1 launch |
| 41 | Photek Manufacturer of vacuum-based tubes and camera systems for particle detection | $632K | 113 mo ago | 60 | 1996 | — | WordPressMySQLPHP+26 | 20 patents Microchannel plate electron multipliers and associated detection systems | — |
| 42 | Cambridge Display Technology Polymer organic light emitting diodes (P-OLED) | $517K | 137 mo ago | 57 | 1989 | Richard Friend Co-Founder | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | 2,436 patents Thermal management polymers, single-ion conductors, and fullerene-based organic electronic materials | — |
| 43 | Power OLEDs Provider OLED products for energy management systems | $376K | 99 mo ago | — | 2013 | Tim Dempsey Founder & Director | — | 21 patents Organic heterocyclic emitters for OLEDs, organic photovoltaics, and thin‑film transistors | — |
| 44 | Fibercore Manufacturer of multiple optical fibres | $320K | 116 mo ago | 42 42 → 36 (-14%) | 1982 | — | — | 51 patents Composite single‑mode/multimode optical fibers for advanced sensing and drilling telemetry | — |
| 45 | Photon Design Provider of simulation software for the photonic ICs | $228K | 89 mo ago | — | 1992 | — | Craft CMSPHPYii+14 | — | 1 launch |
| 46 | Infinitesima Developer of atomic precision 3D metrology technology for semiconductor manufacturing | $218K | 4 mo ago | 29 | 2001 | Andrew Humphris Founder & CTO | JoomlaPHPGoogle Maps+11 | 162 patents Advanced scanning probe microscopy with AI-driven imaging and measurement technologies | 2 job openings |
| 47 | Advanced Laser Imaging Provider of 3D laser scanning systems for scanning and surveying applications | $123K | 150 mo ago | 2 | 2013 | Paul Snudden Chief Executive Officer | — | — | — |
| 48 | Phoenix Photonics Fiber optic networking equipment and subsystems provider | $111K | 130 mo ago | 3 | 2002 | Ian Giles Founder & CEO | — | 2 patents Mode-selective coupling and detection in integrated optical waveguides. | — |
| 49 | Quantopticon Developer of a software suite for designing and optimizing quantum devices | $100K | 51 mo ago | 3 | 2017 | Mirella Koleva Co-Founder & CEO | — | 8 patents Software for simulating quantum optical systems and their response to electromagnetic pulses | — |
Top 12 Photonics companies in United Kingdom
#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
Seed · Glasgow, Scotland · founded 2023$1.4Mraised▾
Manufacturer of modular imaging hardware and associated light control software. This equipment provides super-resolution imaging capabilities for biological research and drug development applications. The hardware platform integrates with software designed to manage complex multi-dimensional imaging experiments through automated workflows. These tools facilitate the capture of high-resolution visual data for laboratory analysis.
- Apr 2026Seed$1.4M
#4
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
#5
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
#6
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
#7
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
#8
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—
#9
Seed · Belfast, Northern Ireland · founded 2014 · 8 employees$3.6Mraised▾
Photonic Measurements is engaged in the design and manufacture of UV-Vis spectrophotometers and analyzers for diagnostic applications. Its line of products include UV-Vis Solid State Spectrophotometers, Vis SS Spectrophotometers, and UV-Vis Spectrophotometers, the Lorentz Turbidity Analyzer, and the Franklin UV254 analyzer for label-free measurement of TOC, BOD and COD.
- Nov 2024Seed$394.5K
- Feb 2024Seed$378.9K
- Dec 2022Seed$932.3K
- Dec 2018Seed$1.4M
#10
Seed · Edinburgh, Scotland · founded 2013 · 12 employees$4.9Mraised▾
Provider of tunable fiber lasers for industrial applications. It manufactures a femtosecond infrared laser product for use in a diverse range of scientific applications, including multi-photon microscopy, light-sheet microscopy, second-harmonic microscopy, optical coherence tomography, and time-resolved semiconductor spectroscopy. It offers custom Femto lasers for a range of wavelengths. It has applications in the testing and measurement of electronics.
- Jul 2024Seed$1.3M
- Dec 2022Seed$1.2M
- Aug 2021Seed$1.7M
- Dec 2015Seed$774K
#11
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
#12
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
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.