Winners Announced!! - See additional videos and photos on the Startup Challenge 2013 results page.
1st - Arun Chhabra & Erik Klaas (co-founders) - 8-tree - $10,000 prize
"fastCHECK: a revolutionary 3D surface inspection system that is amazingly fast, accurate and easy-to-use."
2nd - Ryan Denomme (founder) - Nicoya Lifesciences - $5,000 prize
"Compact, Low cost, High Performance Optical Biosensors for Point-of-Care Diagnostics"
3rd - Frank Palmer (CEO) - Cold Steel Laser - $2,500 prize
"Remote Image Guided Endoscopic Surgery (RIGES) Platform"
Congratulations to all our Finalists!
Join us for the Finals | Come hear the future of photonics entrepreneurship
3:30-6pm on 6 February, 2013
Room 101 of the Moscone Center
Open to all Photonics West visitors, a free exhibit hall badge will provide access
Ten new entrepreneurs in photonics will have just 3 minutes each to pitch their businesses to a team of expert judges. The top pitch presenter will go home with $10,000! Join fellow business development, investment, and product managers to scout new talent and see what the future of entrepreneurship in photonics looks like.
See the list of Semi-final pitch titles and presenters.
The event will conclude with a networking reception (5-6pm) where you can meet the presenters, judges, and fellow attendees involved in photonics entrepreneurship.
2013 Prizes are:
| First place: $10,000 |
| Second place: $5,000 |
| Third place: $2,500 |
| Plus: Top ten finalists will receive sponsorship to attend the Entrepreneurship Academies organized by UC-Davis. |
SPIE is pleased to announce our talented and dedicated team of judges for the final competition:
- Jason Eichenholz - Open Photonics, Inc.
- Patricia Glaza - Arsenal Venture Partners
- Bruce Itchkawitz - Knobbe Martens
- Jay Kumler - JENOPTIK Optical Systems, Inc.
- Adam Wax - Duke University
Please review the eligibility requirements, rules, and contest structure.
Have questions about the competition? Contact: dirkf@spie.org
Lead Sponsor:
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Additional Support Provided by
In 2012, SPIE and Jenoptik sponsored the 2nd Annual Startup Challenge for photonics technology at Photonics West. This competitive event invited new entrepreneurs to pitch their light-based technology business plan to a team of corporate development experts and venture capitalists. The best pitches were selected to attend a week long entrepreneur boot camp to refine their ideas and make further contacts with experts.
View the 2012 SPIE Startup Challenge results
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