Trending...
- OneVizion Announces Next Phase of Growth as Brad Kitchens Joins Board of Directors
- Mend Colorado Launches Revamped Sports Performance Training Page
- Tacoma City Council Announces City Manager Finalists
Download
Jonas Zeuner of VitreaLab, center, is joined onstage by Jenoptik's Song Yop Chung, left, and Ralf Kuschnereit, right. (Photo: Business Wire)
BELLINGHAM, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yesterday, at a ceremony during SPIE Photonics West, VitreaLab, with its laser-lit chip focused on the 2D and 3D display market – a technology which enables more power-efficient displays – was announced the winner of the $10,000 top prize at the 12th annual SPIE Startup Challenge.
More on Washingtoner
With cash prizes all provided by Jenoptik, Quantopticon, a designer of simulation software for quantum photonic hardware manufacturers, received $5,000 for second place. Luminess came in third, winning $2,500, with their versatile platform for safer, more sensitive, and more reliable X-ray medical imaging. The SPIE Startup Challenge, which showcases new businesses, products, and technologies that address critical needs with photonics, is supported by Founding Partner Jenoptik, Lead Sponsors MKS Instruments, Hamamatsu, Edmund Optics, and Thorlabs, and Strategic Partners Allianse and NextCorps' Luminate.
In addition, as part of the overall SPIE Startup Challenge program, four companies in the process of fundraising — Fastree3D, Raydiant Oximetry, Stratio, Inc., and UbiQD — presented their new technologies to prospective investors.
"I think this was an absolutely fantastic result," said VitreaLab CEO Jonas Zeuner. "It's great to be at the biggest photonics event and at the Startup Challenge because it means a lot of outreach possibilities, a lot of people will see us, and we can get in touch with investors so fast. Winning today is a very, very useful result, and we are very appreciative."
"I'm delighted and humbled to be selected as one of the winners," said Quantopticon CEO and Co-founder Mirella Koleva. "It's wonderful to have this opportunity, to receive so much recognition and support from the judges. It really means a lot to me, to us."
"We're very pleased and confident in the potential of our technology and it's really a pleasure to see its acceptance at such an early stage from a panel of experienced investors," said Luminess' Charles Roques-Carmes. "This gives us a lot of hope for this year since we'll be looking for early-stage investment. We really hope that we can leverage this platform that's been given to us through the SPIE Startup Challenge."
Judges drawn from across the industry who vetted the applicants for their business models, financial cases, and competitive advantages included Innovation Acceleration Capital's Darius Sankey, Edmund Optics' Greg Hollows, Fusion Fund's Homan Yuen, Anchored In's Ian Tracey, Jenoptik's Song Yop Chung, and Genoa Ventures' Bill Hyun.
"What I love about the Startup Challenge is that it brings the most promising technologies and connects them with investors," noted Tracey. "It allows us to take photonics technology to market and change the world for the better. I love the energy and the focus of these competitors, and there was such a wonderful variety of different technologies that they touched upon. It was really fantastic seeing them as they came on stage, to spot their energy and enthusiasm."
Light-based technologies enable developments in a proliferating number of areas, from healthcare and high-speed communications to quantum computing, AR/VR/MR, and self-driving vehicles. The SPIE Startup Challenge is an annual entrepreneurial pitch competition for new businesses that utilize optics and photonics to create innovative products, applications, and technologies. Startup Challenge winners that have gone on to wider commercial success include Cellino Biotech, Double Helix Optics, PhotoniCare, C. Light Technologies, Circle Optics, and In A Blink (https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Finablink.zone%2F&esheet=52569076&newsitemid=20220126005652&lan=en-US&anchor=In+A+Blink&index=8&md5=8330a3e8b5614a130869bb2bd7a9c41f).
More on Washingtoner
About SPIE
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, SPIE has contributed more than $22 million to the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. www.spie.org (https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spie.org&esheet=52569076&newsitemid=20220126005652&lan=en-US&anchor=www.spie.org&index=9&md5=6040eae8a93116c68731f31c9085f3e2).
Contacts
Daneet Steffens
Public Relations Manager
daneets@spie.org
+1 360 685 5478
@SPIEtweets (https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fspietweets&esheet=52569076&newsitemid=20220126005652&lan=en-US&anchor=%40SPIEtweets&index=10&md5=5e0973e546663ed8e6a8f5cf5e380fa9)
Release Summary
During SPIE Photonics West, VitreaLab, with its laser-lit chip for the 2D and 3D display market, won the top prize at the SPIE Startup Challenge.
0) { // Create container for hi-res image jQuery('#bw-release-hires').append('
'); }; }); ]]>
Contacts
Daneet Steffens
Public Relations Manager
daneets@spie.org
+1 360 685 5478
@SPIEtweets (https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fspietweets&esheet=52569076&newsitemid=20220126005652&lan=en-US&anchor=%40SPIEtweets&index=10&md5=5e0973e546663ed8e6a8f5cf5e380fa9)
Jonas Zeuner of VitreaLab, center, is joined onstage by Jenoptik's Song Yop Chung, left, and Ralf Kuschnereit, right. (Photo: Business Wire)
- Jonas Zeuner of VitreaLab, center, is joined onstage by Jenoptik's Song Yop Chung, left, and Ralf Kuschnereit, right. (Photo: Business Wire)
BELLINGHAM, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yesterday, at a ceremony during SPIE Photonics West, VitreaLab, with its laser-lit chip focused on the 2D and 3D display market – a technology which enables more power-efficient displays – was announced the winner of the $10,000 top prize at the 12th annual SPIE Startup Challenge.
More on Washingtoner
- Angels Of Dirt Premieres on Youtube, Announces Paige Keck Helmet Sponsorship for 2026 Season
- "They Said It Was Impossible": This Bottle Turns Any Freshwater Source Into Ice-Cold, Purified Drinking Water in Seconds
- Patron Saints Of Music Names Allie Moskovits Head Of Sync & Business Development
- Dave Aronberg Named 2026 John C. Randolph Award Recipient by Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians & Jews
- General Relativity Challenged by New Tension Discovered in Dark Siren Cosmology
With cash prizes all provided by Jenoptik, Quantopticon, a designer of simulation software for quantum photonic hardware manufacturers, received $5,000 for second place. Luminess came in third, winning $2,500, with their versatile platform for safer, more sensitive, and more reliable X-ray medical imaging. The SPIE Startup Challenge, which showcases new businesses, products, and technologies that address critical needs with photonics, is supported by Founding Partner Jenoptik, Lead Sponsors MKS Instruments, Hamamatsu, Edmund Optics, and Thorlabs, and Strategic Partners Allianse and NextCorps' Luminate.
In addition, as part of the overall SPIE Startup Challenge program, four companies in the process of fundraising — Fastree3D, Raydiant Oximetry, Stratio, Inc., and UbiQD — presented their new technologies to prospective investors.
"I think this was an absolutely fantastic result," said VitreaLab CEO Jonas Zeuner. "It's great to be at the biggest photonics event and at the Startup Challenge because it means a lot of outreach possibilities, a lot of people will see us, and we can get in touch with investors so fast. Winning today is a very, very useful result, and we are very appreciative."
"I'm delighted and humbled to be selected as one of the winners," said Quantopticon CEO and Co-founder Mirella Koleva. "It's wonderful to have this opportunity, to receive so much recognition and support from the judges. It really means a lot to me, to us."
"We're very pleased and confident in the potential of our technology and it's really a pleasure to see its acceptance at such an early stage from a panel of experienced investors," said Luminess' Charles Roques-Carmes. "This gives us a lot of hope for this year since we'll be looking for early-stage investment. We really hope that we can leverage this platform that's been given to us through the SPIE Startup Challenge."
Judges drawn from across the industry who vetted the applicants for their business models, financial cases, and competitive advantages included Innovation Acceleration Capital's Darius Sankey, Edmund Optics' Greg Hollows, Fusion Fund's Homan Yuen, Anchored In's Ian Tracey, Jenoptik's Song Yop Chung, and Genoa Ventures' Bill Hyun.
"What I love about the Startup Challenge is that it brings the most promising technologies and connects them with investors," noted Tracey. "It allows us to take photonics technology to market and change the world for the better. I love the energy and the focus of these competitors, and there was such a wonderful variety of different technologies that they touched upon. It was really fantastic seeing them as they came on stage, to spot their energy and enthusiasm."
Light-based technologies enable developments in a proliferating number of areas, from healthcare and high-speed communications to quantum computing, AR/VR/MR, and self-driving vehicles. The SPIE Startup Challenge is an annual entrepreneurial pitch competition for new businesses that utilize optics and photonics to create innovative products, applications, and technologies. Startup Challenge winners that have gone on to wider commercial success include Cellino Biotech, Double Helix Optics, PhotoniCare, C. Light Technologies, Circle Optics, and In A Blink (https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Finablink.zone%2F&esheet=52569076&newsitemid=20220126005652&lan=en-US&anchor=In+A+Blink&index=8&md5=8330a3e8b5614a130869bb2bd7a9c41f).
More on Washingtoner
- Unseasonable Warmth Triggers Early Pest Season Along I-5 Corridor
- Bug Busters Expands Service Footprint With New Carrollton, Georgia Branch
- Why KULR Could Be a Quiet Enabler of Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) Over The Long Term: KULR Technology Group, Inc. (NY SE American: KULR)
- Why Finland Had No Choice But to Legalize Online Gambling
- High-Margin Energy & Digital Infrastructure Platform Created after Merger with Established BlockFuel Energy, Innovation Beverage Group (NAS DAQ: IBG)
About SPIE
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, SPIE has contributed more than $22 million to the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. www.spie.org (https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spie.org&esheet=52569076&newsitemid=20220126005652&lan=en-US&anchor=www.spie.org&index=9&md5=6040eae8a93116c68731f31c9085f3e2).
Contacts
Daneet Steffens
Public Relations Manager
daneets@spie.org
+1 360 685 5478
@SPIEtweets (https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fspietweets&esheet=52569076&newsitemid=20220126005652&lan=en-US&anchor=%40SPIEtweets&index=10&md5=5e0973e546663ed8e6a8f5cf5e380fa9)
Release Summary
During SPIE Photonics West, VitreaLab, with its laser-lit chip for the 2D and 3D display market, won the top prize at the SPIE Startup Challenge.
0) { // Create container for hi-res image jQuery('#bw-release-hires').append('
'); }; }); ]]>
Contacts
Daneet Steffens
Public Relations Manager
daneets@spie.org
+1 360 685 5478
@SPIEtweets (https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fspietweets&esheet=52569076&newsitemid=20220126005652&lan=en-US&anchor=%40SPIEtweets&index=10&md5=5e0973e546663ed8e6a8f5cf5e380fa9)
0 Comments
Latest on Washingtoner
- City of Tacoma Observes Presidents Day on February 16
- Dr. Rashad Richey's Indisputable Shatters Records, Over 1 Billion YouTube Views, Top 1% Podcast, 3.2 Million Viewers Daily
- Grand Opening: New Single-Family Homes Now Open for Sale at Heritage at Manalapan
- Spokane: Presidents Day is a Parking Meter Holiday
- Shelter Structures America Announces Distribution Partnership with The DuraTrac Group
- The OpenSSL Corporation Releases Its Annual Report 2025
- Iranian-Born Engineer Mohsen Bahmani Introduces Propeller-Less Propulsion for Urban Air Mobility
- Aleen Inc. (C S E: ALEN.U) Advances Digital Wellness Vision with Streamlined Platform Navigation and Long-Term Growth Strategy
- RimbaMindaAI Officially Launches Version 3.0 Following Strategic Breakthrough in Malaysian Market Analysis
- Fed Rate Pause & Dow 50k: Irfan Zuyrel on Liquidity Shifts, Crypto Volatility, and the ASEAN Opportunity
- 20/20 Institute Launches Updated Vision Correction Procedures Page for Denver & Colorado Springs
- OneVizion Announces Next Phase of Growth as Brad Kitchens Joins Board of Directors
- New Children's Picture Book "Diwa of Mount Luntian" Focuses on Calm, Culture, and Connection for Today's Families
- Actor, Spokesperson Rio Rocket Featured in "Switch to AT&T" Campaign Showing How Customers Can BYOD and Keep Their Number
- The World's No.1 Superstar® Brings Disco Fever Back With New Global Single and Video "Disco Dancing"
- Boston Industrial Solutions' Natron® 512N Series UV LED Ink Achieves BPA Certification, Advancing Safe and Sustainable Digital Printing
- Joan Nissen promoted to Century Fasteners Corp. – General Manager, Aerospace & Government Sales
- Northwest Modern Fabrication Expands Manufacturing Capacity With 4,800 Sq. Ft. Addition
- NRE-HEALTH Radio Launches With a New Approach to Health Broadcasting
- City of Spokane Proposes Directing Funding to Support Families Impacted by Civil Immigration Enforcement