Market map · United Kingdom
Photonics market map: United Kingdom
34 photonics startups based in the United Kingdom that have raised money in rounds we track, placed in 4 segments by what each says it does. Together they have raised $449M; the biggest segment is lasers.
Lasers
20
Funding by segment
- Lasers$150M20
- Lidar and sensing$110M8
- Optical computing and interconnects$96M3
- Quantum photonics$93M3
Where they are based
- United Kingdom34$449M
United KingdomFounded
3 without a founding year on record.
Total raised
- Under $1M3
- $1M to $10M18
- $10M to $50M10
- $50M to $250M3
- $250M to $1B0
- $1B and over0
Each dot is a startup: the year it was founded across, the total it has raised up (each line is ten times the one below). Pick a segment to pick it out.
29 of 34 startups shown; the rest have no founding year or amount on record.
- 1 to 2
- 3 to 7
- 8 to 24
- 25 to 99
- 100 and more
- United Kingdom34
Startups by country, 1 country in all.
Segment by segment
Lasers
20 startups · $150M raised
IntenseIntense develops and commercializes single and multi-mode monolithic laser array products, and high power laser diodes.United Kingdom$21M
KAIOKAIO, formerly known as Libre Capital, is an institutional-grade protocol designed for the compliant issuance and lifecycle manageUnited Kingdom$19M
Archangel LightworksArchangel Lightworks is a private aerospace and communications company based in Oxford, UK, founded in 2017.United Kingdom$17M
Powerlase PhotonicsPowerlase Photonics Ltd is an innovative, independent, high power laser company.United Kingdom$13M
Fraunhofer Centre for Applied PhotonicsFraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics is a center in the field of applied laser research and development.United Kingdom$11M
DataLaseDataLase Ltd is the leading provider of materials for laser coding and marking of products and packaging.United Kingdom$10M
Skylark LasersSkylark Lasers is a photonics and laser development company based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, founded in 2013.United Kingdom$9.6M
Shot ScopeShot Scope is a golf technology company based in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 2014.United Kingdom$9.0M
Lidar and sensing
8 startups · $110M raised
Living OpticsLiving Optics is a private deep-tech company founded in 2020, specializing in the development and manufacturing of affordable, porUnited Kingdom$61M
QLM TechnologyQLM Technology is a UK-based photonics technology company founded in 2017, specializing in advanced quantum gas lidar systems for United Kingdom$19M
Sportlight TechnologySportlight Technology is a UK-based sports technology startup founded in 2015, specializing in elite athlete tracking and performaUnited Kingdom$14M
SMi SystemsSMi Systems is a life science technology company that specializes in molecular science.United Kingdom$7.6M
SilotonSiloton specialises in miniaturised optical technology for medical imaging, using quantum photonic chips and OCT to detect and monUnited Kingdom$2.7M
Singular PhotonicsSingular Photonics is a fabless semiconductor company based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.United Kingdom$2.2M
Northern Light MicroscopyNorthern Light Microscopy is a precision photonics and microscopy company based in Glasgow, established in 2024 as a spinout from United Kingdom$1.6M
NCTechNCTech is a UK-based technology company that specializes in high-resolution 360° street-level imagery, LiDAR data collection, and United Kingdom$1.3M
Optical computing and interconnects
3 startups · $96M raised
OptalysysOptalysys Ltd is a high-tech company based in Leeds, United Kingdom, specializing in optical computing and silicon photonics.United Kingdom$69M
GLITTERINTECH LTDGlitterin Tech develops fabless silicon photonic integrated circuits and optoelectronic systems for spectroscopy and optical computing.United Kingdom$15M
Zero Point MotionZero Point Motion is a deep-tech startup based in Bristol, UK, founded in 2020.United Kingdom$13M
Quantum photonics
3 startups · $93M raised
ORCA ComputingORCA Computing is building the first scalable and flexible quantum computer powered by photonics.United Kingdom$85M
Wave PhotonicsWave Photonics is a deep-tech startup based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, founded in 2021.United Kingdom$5.7M
AegiqAegiq is a UK-based full-stack photonic quantum computing company founded in December 2019 and headquartered in Sheffield, England.United Kingdom$2.3M
How this map is made. Every startup here has raised money in rounds we track, and is based in United Kingdom. It joins the map when its sectors, read from its rounds, or the opening of its own description say it works in photonics, and goes to the first segment whose words it carries. Each segment shows its best-funded first. Rebuilt nightly; updated 15 November 2026.
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