Entrepreneurs Invited to Apply for 2027 SPIE Startup Challenge

Entrepreneurs around the world are invited to apply for a chance to pitch their optics or photonics technologies or products to a panel of expert judges at the 17th annual SPIE Startup Challenge. SPIE, the international society of optics and photonics, holds the competition at Photonics West every January, with multiple teams walking away with cash prizes.

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More than a simple pitch competition, the SPIE Startup Challenge is an entry point into the community of high-tech business development of new products in healthcare and deep tech, with an audience of experienced photonics innovators and investors. Cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500 are provided by Startup Challenge Founding Partner Jenoptik. Also given is the SPIE Jay Kumler Innovation Award, sponsored by Jenoptik, going to the finalist who best exemplifies former President of Jenoptik North America and SPIE Fellow, Jay Kumler’s, commitment to advancing optics and photonics innovation. Participating teams also receive mentoring by industry leaders and gain increased visibility from potential investors.

Previous first prize winners include Max-IR Labs, for facilitating carbon credits with precise CO2 monitoring in water systems, Advanced Optronics, which provides biocompatible integrated photonics for intraoperative monitoring in the cochlea, and Coalesenz, who also won the SPIE Jay Kumler Innovation Award for its hand-held coagulation analyzer.

“Winning first place at the SPIE Startup Challenge and becoming the inaugural recipient of the SPIE Jay Kumler Innovation Award was a defining moment for our team at Coalesenz. The recognition has sparked investor interest, supported new clinical collaborations, and helped us build momentum toward our vision of improving patients’ lives by transforming bleeding and coagulation management at the point of care. We are grateful to SPIE for providing an important platform that helps photonics startups turn innovation into real-world impact,” says Coalesenz Founder Seemantini Nadkarni.

New businesses and potential startups with optics or photonics technology can learn more about the 2027 Startup Challenge, including tips and training from leading experts, by visiting SPIE Startup Challenge. Applications close on 6 October 2026 with finalists being notified on 1 December 2026.

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, we have invested more than $26 million in the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development.

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