About Photonics
There are 2.3K companies in the Photonics sector across the world, with 1.09K funded companies having collectively raised $45.8B in venture capital money and private equity. Overall 644 of these are Series A+ funded and the sector has seen the creation of 10 Unicorns.
Photonics sector has seen 285 acquisitions and 118 IPOs. This represents almost 17.5% of all such companies - which is higher than the 3.8% exit rate of tech companies in general.
This sector includes companies making use of the particle properties of light (or photons) to develop applications in the field of electronics, semiconductors, life sciences, etc.
Photonics sector is also known as Optics Technology or Optoelectronic Technology.
Companies included in Photonics sector
Companies developing products in various applications of photonics such as optoelectronics, photonic integrated circuits, quantum optics, nanophotonics, and biophotonics; includes optical devices, enabling technologies and major applications in all the mentioned technologies.Companies excluded in Photonics sector
Products and enabling technologies of classical optics such as lenses, prisms, mirrors, etc.; consumer lighting and imaging solutions such as LED bulbs, contact lenses, cameras lenses, etc.; medical devices working in the non-visible electromagnetic spectrum; and companies providing consultancy and imaging services without a self-manufactured equipment.Market Map of Photonics
The market map of Photonics gives a visual overview of the sector, showing key business models, their interactions in the value chain, and industry evolution. Top 3 trending business models in Photonics sector are Quantum Optics, Nanophotonics and Fibre Optic Sensors.
Reports related to Photonics
Here are some reports related to Photonics sector:
Free
Photonics - Sector Report
Edition: October, 2026 (71 Pages)
Premium
Photonics Investor Landscape
Edition: July, 2025 (12 Pages)
Premium
Photonics Exit Landscape
Edition: October, 2026 (15 Pages)
View all reports related to Photonics. Sign up today!Top Companies in Photonics
There are more than 2.3K companies in Photonics. Nvidia is the top Photonics company globally, ranked using Tracxn Score (what's this?).
Here are 5 of the top Photonics companies globally:
Company | Description | Location | Founded | Current Stage | Private Funding Raised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Developer of hardware and software solutions for artificial intelligence computing | Santa Clara (United States) | 1993 | Public | $5M | |
Manufacturer of laser solutions | Vancouver (United States) | 2000 | Public | $204M | |
Provider of cloud and trapped ion technology-based universal quantum computers | College Park (United States) | 2015 | Public | $86M | |
Developer of LiDAR sensors and perception software for autonomous vehicles | Rosh Haayin (Israel) | 2016 | Public | $252M | |
Provider of diversified optics for microscopic instruments, medical imaging systems and more | Oberkochen (Germany) | 1846 | Public | $49.8M |
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Companies founded year-on-year in the Photonics sector
22 new startups have been founded so far in 2026 in the Photonics sector. 103 Photonics startups were founded in 2017 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 22 |
2025 | 32 |
2024 | 47 |
2023 | 28 |
2022 | 36 |
2021 | 52 |
2020 | 60 |
2019 | 69 |
2018 | 89 |
2017 | 103 |
Companies founded across countries in the Photonics sector
United States has 692 Photonics startups, the most by any country, followed by China which has 432 startups and Germany which has 202.
- Total Number of Companies
Country | No. of companies |
|---|---|
United States | 692 |
China | 432 |
Germany | 202 |
United Kingdom | 145 |
France | 74 |
Canada | 67 |
India | 63 |
Taiwan | 60 |
Switzerland | 49 |
South Korea | 46 |
Stage-wise distribution of the Photonics sector
Out of the total 2,301 Photonics companies, 1,091 have secured funding. Among them, 644 have reached Series A or higher, and 526 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 2,301
Funded - 1,091
Series A+ - 644
Series B+ - 526
Series C+ - 457
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 2,301 |
Funded | 1,091 |
Series A+ | 644 |
Series B+ | 526 |
Series C+ | 457 |
Want to know more about Photonics ? Signup and explore Tracxn for free
- 2.3K+ Total Companies
- $45.8B+ Total Funding
- 1.1K+ Funded Companies
- 115+ IPOs
- 280+ Acquisitions
- 15+ Reports
Funding Trends in the Photonics sector
Total funding year-on-year in the Photonics sector
The Photonics sector saw a total funding of more than $26B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding has been in 2026 at more than $6.73B till date.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2026 | $6.73B |
2025 | $3.29B |
2024 | $2.3B |
2023 | $1.84B |
2022 | $1.43B |
2021 | $2.63B |
2020 | $2.12B |
2019 | $3.4B |
2018 | $1.22B |
2017 | $1.07B |
Total funding across countries in the Photonics sector
In the last 10 years, Photonics startups in United States have recieved the highest funding among all countries - $17B. China follows with $2.25B and France with $1.04B.
- Total Funding
Country | Total Funding |
|---|---|
United States | $17B |
China | $2.25B |
France | $1.04B |
Canada | $973M |
United Kingdom | $859M |
Germany | $675M |
Netherlands | $459M |
Japan | $211M |
Switzerland | $83.5M |
India | $23.8M |
Total funding amount raised by stage in the Photonics sector
Over the last 10 years, the Photonics sector have seen $628M into Seed Stage funding rounds, $5.34B into Early Stage funding rounds and $8.11B go into Late Stage funding rounds.
Funding Stage | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Late Stage | $8.11B |
Post IPO | $7.41B |
Early Stage | $5.34B |
Grant | $2.17B |
Debt | $1.67B |
Seed Stage | $628M |
PE | $50.1M |
Other-Equity | $1M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Photonics
In the year 2026, till October 2026, Photonics companies have raised $2.39B in equity funding across 67 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till October 2025), Photonics companies had raised $2.4B across 67 rounds.
So, 2026 has seen a 0.43% drop in funding in Photonics companies as compared to 2025.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Photonics:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Series A | 6585 | Oct 21, 2026 | ||
Seed | 4675 | Oct 15, 2026 | ||
Series A | 3426 | Oct 13, 2026 | - | |
Series B | 2863 | Oct 12, 2026 | ||
Series A | 5659 | Oct 07, 2026 |
Top Investors in Photonics
Europa is the top investor in Photonics companies based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Photonics:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Oak Ridge (United States) | ||
Arlington (United States) | ||
Washington, DC (United States) | ||
Brussels (Belgium) |
M&A activity in Photonics
In the year 2026, till October 2026, 17 acquisitions happened in Photonics sector. Last year, in 2025, a total of 22 acquisitions happened in Photonics sector.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Photonics:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Oct 19, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Oct 12, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Oct 05, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Aug 31, 2026 | ||
Business Acquisition | Jul 06, 2026 |
Acquisition trends in Photonics
Here are the acquisition trends in Photonics:
- Total Number of Acquisitions
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 17 |
2025 | 22 |
2024 | 11 |
2023 | 20 |
2022 | 19 |
2021 | 21 |
2020 | 23 |
2019 | 18 |
2018 | 23 |
2017 | 21 |
IPOs in Photonics
In the year 2026, till September 2026, 4 IPOs happened in Photonics sector.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Photonics:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Sep 22, 2026 | Hong Kong Exchanges (HKG) | |
Jul 30, 2026 | Hong Kong Exchanges (HKG) | |
Mar 26, 2026 | Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) | |
Mar 23, 2026 | Hong Kong Exchanges (HKG) | |
Sep 16, 2025 | Hong Kong Exchanges (HKG) |
Colleges which produce the most Photonics companies
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Photonics sector
Most number of Photonics startups have been founded by alumni from Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Imperial College London.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Stanford University | 28 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 27 |
Imperial College London | 12 |
Tsinghua University | 8 |
University of California (Los Angeles) | 8 |
University of Cambridge | 8 |
University of Oxford | 7 |
Cornell University | 6 |
Technion Israel Institute Technology | 6 |
Tel Aviv University | 6 |
Total funding in companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the the Photonics sector
In the last 10 years, Stanford University graduates' Photonics companies have raised the most funding among top colleges. University of Cambridge alumni are second, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Stanford University | $3.79B |
University of Cambridge | $3.17B |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $3.13B |
Imperial College London | $2.89B |
Cornell University | $1.24B |
University of California (Los Angeles) | $1.19B |
University of California (Berkeley) | $1.13B |
IIT Kanpur | $1.07B |
Yale University | $901M |
University of Oxford | $499M |
Top News in Photonics
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ENERZAi Expands Broadcom Partnership with On-Device AI DemosAiThority•Oct 28, 2026•Sagemcom, Broadcom, ENERZAi, Kaon
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Volvo Cars Deepens NVIDIA Partnership for Next-Gen AI-Powered VehiclesElectric Cars Report•Oct 16, 2026•Volvo Cars, Nvidia, Mercedes-Benz, Schaeffler
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China solar giants shed another 40,000 jobs in 2025 as overcapacity persistsDeal Street Asia•Oct 14, 2026•Jinko Solar, Tongwei, Trina Solar, Longi
