Pensievision, a startup based in San Diego, California, has been named the winner of the eighth round of the Luminate NY optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI) accelerator competition. The announcement was made by Governor Kathy Hochul. Pensievision received the “Company of the Year” Award at the Luminate NY Finals 2025 event held at Arbor Midtown in Rochester and streamed online. As part of its win, Pensievision will receive a $1 million investment from New York State through the Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative.
The funding is intended to help Pensievision expand in the region by working with local supply chains, hiring engineers from area universities, and partnering with design and manufacturing firms in Rochester. Luminate NY is managed by NextCorps and is recognized as one of the largest business accelerators for companies developing technologies enabled by optics, photonics, and imaging.
Governor Hochul said, “Thanks in part to the successful Luminate NY competition, our state continues to lead the nation on cutting-edge technological ideas and research. The winners of the competition’s eighth round represent some of the world’s most innovative businesses that are bringing transformative products in the optics, photonics and imaging supply chain to market. I congratulate this year’s winners, and remain committed to supporting the fast-growing, high-tech businesses and industries that will move New York forward.”
Pensievision has created 3D imaging technology designed for use in challenging environments such as medical diagnostics, factory settings, and space missions. The system uses a compact single-lens setup combined with artificial intelligence and astronomy-inspired optics.
“Luminate gave us unmatched access to optics expertise, precision manufacturers, and advisors who helped shape our business model and customer acquisition strategy. It has fast-tracked our ability to validate use cases, secure pilots, and prepare for institutional funding. This follow-on funding will help us to reinforce Rochester’s role as a global hub for optics and photonics innovation,” said Tal Almog, President of Pensievision.
Other companies recognized at the event included amPICQ from Hyderabad (now based in Rochester), which won the Outstanding Graduate Award along with $500,000 for its work on Photonic Integrated Circuits aimed at quantum-safe security across several industries. Three companies—Oblate Optics (San Diego), Pixel Photonics (Münster), and SNOChip (Princeton)—tied for Distinguished Graduate Award; each received $200,000 for their innovations ranging from ultra-thin lenses to integrated optical components.
LirOptic was selected as Audience Choice by attendees and awarded $10,000. All awards were determined after pitches were evaluated by judges from both industry and venture capital sectors during a seven-month program.
The completion of this round brings Luminate NY’s portfolio to over 80 companies with an estimated combined market value of $700 million. Winners are required to establish operations in the region for at least 18 months.
Since it began operations, Luminate NY has invested $21 million into 85 startups. These startups have created more than 210 jobs within New York State while spending over $21 million on projects involving regional partners. Twenty-two international companies have relocated to New York due to participation in this program.
Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan, Managing Director of Luminate NY said: “Each year, the caliber of innovation in Luminate speaks to the strength of the program and the unique ecosystem New York offers. What stands out in this round is how many of the technologies are positioned to not only transform markets like healthcare and advanced manufacturing but also to accelerate growth in the semiconductor space, an industry where our region has critical advantages. Luminate ensures that these companies are not just developing breakthrough ideas but are equipped with the resources, networks, and capital to bring them to scale here in New York.”
The accelerator selects 10–12 companies annually for its hybrid seven-month program based in Rochester; participants receive instruction hours as well as funding support contingent on engagement with resources from the Finger Lakes region.
Empire State Development President Hope Knight stated: “The Luminate NY competition’s laser focus on accelerating innovation and investment in New York’s world-renowned optics, photonics and imaging industries has further established the Finger Lakes as an OPI hub. Congratulations to all finalists who took part in Round Eight of the Luminate competition, and we are excited about the growth and impact that these forward-thinking companies will bring to the region.”
Additional remarks came from State Senator Jeremy Cooney; Assemblymember Harry Bronson; Monroe County Executive Adam Bello; and City of Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans—all highlighting Rochester’s history as an innovation center for optics-related fields.
More information about Luminate NY can be found at https://luminate.org/ while details about NextCorps are available at https://nextcorps.org/.
The announcement aligns with “Finger Lakes Forward,” a regional plan focused on economic growth through investment in key industries such as photonics.
