The SPIE Startup Challenge is a high-stakes, global competition where entrepreneurs with light-enabled products have 5 minutes to pitch their businesses to a team of expert judges. Winning teams share more than $85,000 in cash and other prizes.

Traditionally, the SPIE Startup Challenge is held annually at Photonics West in San Francisco; the largest research conference and trade show for light-based products in North America with over 1,300 companies and 22,000 attendees. In this challenging year, the Startup Challenge's 11th year, the industry-judged competition moved to an all-online, live-pitching format.

Congratulations to our 2021 Startup Challenge winners!

Deep Tech track:

• First prize: In A Blink
• Second prize: Owl Autonomous Imaging
• Third prize: Ki3 Photonics

Healthcare track:

• First prize: Advanced Optronics
• Second prize: LASE Innovation
• Third prize: Prebeo

Read more about the online finals in our press release.

Questions? Contact us at innovation@spie.org