Swave Photonics, with its Holographic eXtended Reality chips based on proprietary diffractive photonics technology, is the winner of the $10,000 top prize at the 13th annual SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West 2023.
QART Medical, utilising biophotonics and data for 3D analysis of sperm cells during IVF, received $5,000 and was placed second. PhosPrint came in third, winning $2,500, with its novel bioprinting technology that repairs in vivo human tissue during surgery.
The SPIE Startup Challenge, a pitch competition held annually by Photonics West organisers SPIE, showcases new businesses, products, and technologies that address critical needs by utilising photonics in the areas of healthcare and deep tech.
“It’s a privilege just to present to a such distinguished audience,” says Swave Photonics CEO Mike Noonen. “Participating at the Startup Challenge was an award in itself, but to actually win first-place recognition, well, our team is very excited.”
The 2023 SPIE Startup Challenge was supported by founding partner Jenoptik; lead sponsors Edmund Optics, Hamamatsu, MKS Instruments, and Thorlabs; and supporting sponsors NextCorps Luminate and Photonics Media.
