# Luminate: portfolio, investments and team

> Luminate is an accelerator based in United States. 127 investments on record, 17 in the last 12 months, latest Sept 2026.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/fund/luminate-accelerator (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

United States · [Investor](https://millionrounds.com/investors)

# Luminate

Last cheque observed Sep 2026; 127 cheques on record.

Email

Deploying now Accelerator Website unconfirmed

Pre-seed Seed Series A Photonics Optics

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Deploying now

**53%** of best year **17** **cheques in 12 months**, 127 on record

Since the last cheque **60** days **00** hrs **00** min **00** sec

Median round **$5.3M** Cheque size, as they say **$100K – $1.0M** Rounds led **0 of 127** Sole investor **12 rounds** Mostly in **United States, 62%**

Pitch Luminate

## Luminate highlights

- 01 17 cheques in the last 12 months
- 02 Mostly Venture and Seed: 53% of its rounds
- 03 Sole investor in 12 rounds, median $621K

## What they do

- **Type:** Accelerator (from a list, unverified)
- **Cheque size:** $100K – $1.0M as they say
- **Stages:** Pre-seed Seed Series A Series B Growth
- **Sectors:** Photonics Optics
- **Based in:** Rochester, United States
- **Cold pitches:** Not stated

A website was listed for this organisation, but we could not confirm it belongs to the firm that wrote these cheques. Either the site never mentions them, or it turned out to be a different company sharing the name. We show neither it nor anything read from it. [Tell us the right one](https://millionrounds.com/corrections?slug=luminate-accelerator).

## The record

Every round we can evidence, newest first **127 appearances**

- **2026** 16 rounds
- **Sept** **[Ciconia Medical](https://millionrounds.com/company/ciconia-medical)** Grant · US **$307K** Sole investor
- **Aug** **[SeeTrue Technologies Oy](https://millionrounds.com/company/seetrue-technologies-oy)** Seed · FI · Superhero Capital **$2.5M** With 7 others
- **Jul** **[Oculi](https://millionrounds.com/company/oculi)** Venture · US **$3.0M** With 1 other
- **Jun** **[Straiker](https://millionrounds.com/company/straiker)** Series A · TechStartups **$64M** With 6 others
- **Jun** **[Karta](https://millionrounds.com/company/karta)** Debt · US **$125M** With 5 others
- **Jun** **[FileAI](https://millionrounds.com/company/fileai)** Venture · SG **Undisclosed** With 5 others
- **Jun** **[Climate First Bank](https://millionrounds.com/company/climate-first-bank)** Growth · US **$67M** With 1 other
- **Jun** **[Andluca](https://millionrounds.com/company/andluca)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 2 others
- **Jun** **Centrical** Series D · US **$39M** With 2 others
- **May** **[Bunch](https://millionrounds.com/company/bunch)** Series B · DE · Ventureburn **$35M** With 5 others
- **Mar** **[Crossover Markets](https://millionrounds.com/company/crossover-markets)** Series B · GB · Ventureburn **$31M** With 8 others
- **Feb** **[Custom Surgical](https://millionrounds.com/company/custom-surgical)** Seed · DE **$4.1M** With 1 other
- **Feb** **[Turnstile](https://millionrounds.com/company/turnstile)** Series A · US **$29M** With 4 others
- **Feb** **[Pixel Photonics](https://millionrounds.com/company/pixel-photonics)** Seed · DE **$5.7M** With 2 others
- **Jan** **[Zocks](https://millionrounds.com/company/zocks)** Series B · US · Entrée Capital **$45M** With 8 others
- **Jan** **[Pontoro](https://millionrounds.com/company/pontoro)** Series A · US **$5.5M** With 5 others
- **2025** 30 rounds
- **Nov** **[Lightspeed Photonics](https://millionrounds.com/company/lightspeed-photonics)** Seed · SG **$6.5M** With 1 other
- **Oct** **[SNOChip](https://millionrounds.com/company/snochip)** Grant · US **$200K** Sole investor
- **Oct** **[Climate First Bank](https://millionrounds.com/company/climate-first-bank)** Debt · US **$30M** Sole investor
- **Oct** **[Endowus](https://millionrounds.com/company/endowus)** Venture · SG **$70M** With 5 others
- **Oct** **[Oblate Optics](https://millionrounds.com/company/oblate-optics)** Grant · US **$200K** Sole investor
- **Oct** **[Pensievision](https://millionrounds.com/company/pensievision)** Grant · US **$1.0M** With 2 others
- **Oct** **[Intelo](https://millionrounds.com/company/intelo)** Pre-seed · US **$2.0M** Sole investor
- **Sept** **[Flox](https://millionrounds.com/company/flox)** Series B · US · TechStartups **$25M** With 5 others
- **Sept** **[cureVision](https://millionrounds.com/company/curevision)** Venture · DE **Undisclosed** With 1 other
- **Sept** **[LendOS](https://millionrounds.com/company/lendos)** Series A · US **$13M** With 2 others
- **Aug** **[AI Optics](https://millionrounds.com/company/ai-optics)** US · AlleyWatch **$15M** With 2 others
- **Jul** **[FMX](https://millionrounds.com/company/fmx)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 1 other
- **Jul** **[d1g1t](https://millionrounds.com/company/d1g1t)** Venture · CA **Undisclosed** With 5 others
- **Jul** **[EMGenisys](https://millionrounds.com/company/emgenisys)** Seed · US · Tall Grass Ventures **$1.5M** With 3 others
- **Jul** **[Momentum Optics](https://millionrounds.com/company/momentum-optics)** Venture · US **$4.3M** With 2 others
- **Jun** **[Lidrotec](https://millionrounds.com/company/lidrotec)** Series A · DE **$14M** With 1 other
- **Jun** **[Photonect Interconnect Solutions](https://millionrounds.com/company/photonect-interconnect-solutions)** Grant · US **$1.3M** With 1 other
- **May** **[VoxelSensors](https://millionrounds.com/company/voxelsensors)** Grant · BE **$73K** With 3 others
- **Apr** **[TransFICC](https://millionrounds.com/company/transficc)** Series B · GB **$25M** With 4 others
- **Apr** **[Reality Defender](https://millionrounds.com/company/reality-defender)** Venture · US **Undisclosed** With 5 others
- **Apr** **[Terminal 3](https://millionrounds.com/company/terminal-3)** Seed · HK **$8.0M** With 4 others
- **Apr** **[Pliant](https://millionrounds.com/company/pliant)** Series B · DE **$40M** With 3 others
- **Mar** **[Dynocardia](https://millionrounds.com/company/dynocardia)** Venture · US **$675K** With 3 others
- **Mar** **[mpathic.ai](https://millionrounds.com/company/mpathic-ai)** Venture · US **$8.1M** With 2 others

An announcement gives the size of the round, not the size of this investor's cheque: the only rounds that imply a cheque are those where they were the sole named investor.

## The team

We hold **9** people at this firm from the lists this database was built from: a weaker source than the filings, since a list does not say when a title ended. Login to see them.

## What the register says

From the firm's own filings with the SEC, which it must file accurately by law

**4+** funds on file numbered funds in its name

## The cheque

Pre-seed Seed Series A

Median round joined **$5.3M** the round, not its cheque Alone, median **$621K**

Led 0 of 127 rounds **0%**

- **Said size:** $100K – $1.0M
- **Sole investor:** 12 rounds
- **Last cheque:** Sept 2026

Rounds by stage said on their site

- Venture *32*
- Seed said *29*
- Series A said *21*
- Grant *16*
- Series B said *14*
- Debt *4*
- Pre-seed said *-*

Cheques by month Led Joined

Nov 2023 Oct 2026

Often in the room with

- [Illuminate Financial Management](https://millionrounds.com/fund/illuminate-financial) 44
- [National Science Foundation](https://millionrounds.com/fund/nsf-small-business-innovation-research-small-business-techno) 18
- [Plug and Play](https://millionrounds.com/fund/plug-and-play) 6
- [Techstars](https://millionrounds.com/fund/techstars) 5
- [Citibank](https://millionrounds.com/fund/citi) 4
- [Cleantech Open](https://millionrounds.com/fund/cleantech-open) 4

**Pitching Luminate?** Put them on your fundraising board with this record on the card, and follow them to hear when they write a new cheque.

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## Who they invest alongside

The investors most often in the same rounds as Luminate. A count of rooms they were both in, not a relationship either has claimed.

[**Illuminate Financial Management** VC firm **44** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/illuminate-financial)[**National Science Foundation** Government **18** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/nsf-small-business-innovation-research-small-business-techno)[**Plug and Play** Accelerator **6** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/plug-and-play)[**Techstars** VC firm **5** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/techstars)[**Citibank** Growth equity **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/citi)[**Cleantech Open** Accelerator **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/cleantech-open)[**EIC Accelerator** Government **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/eic-accelerator)[**Illuminate Ventures** VC firm **4** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/illuminate-ventures)[**AlbionVC** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/albionvc)[**BDC Capital** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/bdc-venture-capital)[**IGNIA** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/ignia-partners)[**Investible** VC firm **3** rounds together](https://millionrounds.com/fund/investible)

## Recently backed

The latest companies Luminate put money into.

[**Ciconia Medical** $307K · Sept 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/ciconia-medical)[**Oculi** $3.0M · Jul 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/oculi)[**Straiker** $64M · Jun 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/straiker)[**Karta** $125M · Jun 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/karta)[**FileAI** Jun 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/fileai)[**Climate First Bank** $67M · Jun 2026](https://millionrounds.com/company/climate-first-bank)

## Mentioned on podcasts

Episodes that name Luminate in their description, not their title.

- [Equity](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/equity) 20 Sept 2024 · 26 min 'Super weird' is the best way to describe this startup's pivot Mentions [Luminate](https://millionrounds.com/fund/luminate-accelerator) Apple PodcastsShow page
- [Greymatter](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/greymatter) 30 Apr 2019 · 22 min Managing Creative Teams with Facebook's James Everingham | Greymatter With [James Everingham](https://millionrounds.com/person/james-everingham) Mentions [Luminate](https://millionrounds.com/fund/luminate-accelerator) Apple PodcastsShow page
- [The Twenty Minute VC](https://millionrounds.com/podcasts/20vc) 10 Nov 2017 · 25 min 20VC: Why Self-Awareness Is The Most Important Characteristic For Founders, When Is The Right Time For A CEO To Hand Over The Reigns & What CEO's Can Learn About Company Culture From Teaching Middle School with Lloyd Tabb, Founder & Chairman @ Looker Mentions [CapitalG](https://millionrounds.com/fund/capitalg)[Kleiner Perkins](https://millionrounds.com/fund/kleiner-perkins)[Luminate](https://millionrounds.com/fund/luminate-accelerator) *+1* Apple PodcastsShow page

## Quick answers about Luminate

### What does Luminate invest in?

Luminate invests most often at Venture and Seed (53% of the rounds on record), in sectors such as Photonics and Optics.

### How active is Luminate?

127 investments on record, 17 of them in the last 12 months. The most recent was in Sept 2026.

### What has Luminate invested in recently?

Its most recent investments on record: Ciconia Medical (Grant, Sept 2026), SeeTrue Technologies Oy (Seed, Aug 2026) and Oculi (Venture, Jul 2026).

### How big are Luminate's cheques?

The median round it joins is $5.3M. It says it writes cheques of $100K to $1.0M.

### Does Luminate lead rounds?

Rarely, if at all: none of its 127 investments on record names it as the lead.

### Where does Luminate invest?

Most of the companies it backs are in the United States (62%), Germany (15%) and Singapore (8%).

### Is Luminate investing now?

Yes: it is actively investing, with 17 investments in the last 12 months.

### Who does Luminate invest alongside?

Most often Illuminate Financial Management (44 rounds together), National Science Foundation (18 rounds together) and Plug and Play (6 rounds together).

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