Governor Hochul Announces Round Nine Winners of Luminate NY Startup Accelerator and Competition

Governor Kathy Hochul today announcedGekko Photonics as the $1 million "Company of the Year" winner in Round Nine of the Luminate NY optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI) accelerator competition. The Wroclaw, Poland-based company secured the top investment at the Luminate NY Finals 2026, held live in Rochester, NY, during Optica's Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science conference and streamed globally. Gekko Photonics will leverage the $1 million follow-on investment-funded by New York State through theFinger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative -to accelerate its expansion into the region. The startup plans to build a local operation to manufacture its photonic systems and support industrial customers through installation, integration, service, and ongoing technical support.

"The successful Luminate NY competition is ensuring that New York State continues to lead the nation on cutting-edge technological ideas and research," Governor Hochul said. "The imaginative winners of the competition's ninth round represent some of the world's most innovative businesses, bringing transformative products in the optics, photonics and imaging supply chain to market. I congratulate this year's winners and look forward to all that they will continue to bring to the Finger Lakes region's renowned OPI ecosystem."

Gekko Photonics equips manufacturers with inline Raman analyzers that replace delayed lab testing with continuous chemical monitoring. Its SpectrallyTM platform combines photonic hardware and AI-driven chemometrics to improve process control, reduce waste, and deliver more consistent quality across chemical, pharmaceutical, food, and other process industries.

Gekko Photonics CEO Robert Stachurski said, "Rochester's photonics expertise makes it a natural place for our company to grow. This funding will help us hire local engineering and customer support talent, work with regional suppliers, and bring our systems into production and deployment more quickly for U.S. customers."

Accelerating Deep-Tech Hardware from Lab to Market

Administered byNextCorps, Luminate NY is the world's largest business accelerator for emerging deep-tech companies developing technologies enabled by optics, photonics, imaging, and lasers (OPI+L). A panel of industry executives and venture capital judges selected the Round Nine award recipients after evaluating company pitches and due diligence completed over the six-month program. Additional winners include:

• Outstanding Graduate Award ($400,000): AB Photonics, based in Guilford, CT, was awarded $400,000 in follow-on funding. The company is engineering the first scalable, low-cost platform that will allow OEMs and researchers to integrate hand-held, mode-locked pulsed lasers into commercial products.
• Distinguished Graduate Awards ($250,000 each): Two companies each received $250,000 in follow-on investment:Brightlight Photonics from Cambridge, MA, is shrinking Titanium: sapphire lasers down to chip size, replacing bulky tabletop systems with compact sources for quantum technology.Hypervision LTDbased in Yokneam Illit, Israel, is developing ultra-wide-field visual systems that restore natural scale, depth, and peripheral awareness in head-mounted displays and remote-operator interfaces.
• Honorable Achievement Award ($100,000): Rochester, NY companyPhlotonics received $100,000 in follow-on investment for its BioproSenseTM platform that helps manufacturers continuously measure multiple molecular markers from a single sample to spot cell stress earlier, protect yield, and make faster in-process decisions.
• Audience Choice Award ($10,000): Voted on by live and virtual event attendees went toCiconia Medical of San Diego, Calif. to accelerate its commercialization roadmap for improving women's childbirth experiences and outcomes through the first AI-based medical device for vaginal exams.

Luminate NY Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer Dr. Sujatha Ramanujan said, "Turning light into deep-tech solutions is hard-won work. It requires more than brilliant science; it takes an unrivaled ecosystem that can help founders scale their technology and businesses. Luminate, along with the assets in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region, provides this unique support to speed impact and new opportunities in industry."

Fueling Economic Growth Across Upstate New York

The Finals event marks the conclusion of Luminate's ninth cohort, bringing the accelerator's global portfolio to more than 90 companies with a combined market value exceeding $750 million. As a condition of follow-on funding, all winning companies must commit to establishing operational footprints in the Finger Lakes region for at least 18 months.

Since its launch, Luminate NY has invested $26 million in 96 high-growth startups. Portfolio companies have created more than 205 jobs in New York State and invested more than $22 million across 140+ projects with regional design, optics fabrication, and manufacturing vendors. To date, 22 international startups have relocated operations to New York State, and 41 portfolio companies feature women in C-suite leadership roles.

New York State will be funding another round of the innovative Luminate NY competition. The effort will be supported by a $4 million working capital grant. Another $1 million was secured by State Senator Samra Brouk for Round 10.

Applications Are Now Open for Round 10: Expanding into Laser Innovation

Applications are officially open forRound 10 of Luminate NY through January 11, 2027. Each accepted startup in the six-month hybrid accelerator receives an upfront 50,000 of which is committed to regional resource engagement) and competes for a portion of $2 million in follow-on funding at the Luminate Finals.

For Round 10, participating laser startups will gain expanded support through the newly launchedU.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)STELLAR Engine. Backed by $15 million in federal funding and matched by $16 million from New York State, theUniversity of Rochester-led initiative unites more than 90 collaborating organizations to build an internationally competitive hub for laser science, manufacturing, and workforce development.

Startups in fields such as quantum systems, semiconductor metrology, biomedical devices, autonomous navigation, advanced optics, and robotics are encouraged to apply.

The Finger Lakes region offers an unmatched soft landing for deep-tech commercialization, with theAmerican Institute for Manufacturing (AIM) Photonics TAP facility, theUniversity of Rochester's Institute of Optics andLaboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE),Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT),Monroe Community College's Optical Systems Technology program, and more than 150 OPI+L companies employing more than 19,000 industry professionals.

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, "Under Governor Hochul's leadership, the Luminate NY competition has accelerated innovation and investments in the state's world-renowned optics, photonics and imaging industries, further establishing the Finger Lakes as an OPI hub. Congratulations to the ninth-round finalists and awardees, and we look forward to the growth and impact that these dynamic companies will bring to New York."

State Senator Samra Brouk said, "Each year, I attend the Luminate Accelerator Finals to support innovative startups from around the world that help strengthen cutting-edge research and contribute to the Finger Lakes Region's optics, photonics, and laser expertise. To continue this legacy, I was proud to secure $1 million in the state budget process for Round 10. By supporting this robust competition, we are ensuring that Rochester remains at the forefront of OPI+L industries and continues to support global innovation."

State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, "Congratulations to all Round Nine selected winners of the Luminate NY accelerator. Each year, this program celebrates innovation and talent across the Finger Lakes region - keeping Rochester at the forefront of the growing OPI industry. I'm grateful for NextCorps, Finger Lakes Forward, and Empire State Development for their continued commitment to creating cutting-edge opportunities here in Upstate New York."

Assemblymember Harry Bronson said, "Luminate NY continues to be a leader in driving innovative entrepreneurship and research from around the globe to Rochester and Monroe County. I offer my congratulations to the round nine winners for their hard work, ingenuity, and creativity. This competition has been instrumental for leveraging talent and development in the optics and photonics industries to accelerate our regional economy, and I hope we will continue to see these groundbreaking companies make the Finger Lakes region their home."

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said, "Congratulations to all of our Round Nine winners for pushing the boundaries of what's possible in optics, photonics, and imaging. As Luminate NY celebrates the conclusion of another incredible cohort, we are seeing firsthand how these visionary founders are putting down roots, creating high-tech jobs, and driving economic growth right here in Monroe County. By pairing our unmatched regional infrastructure with bold state initiatives and the momentum of the new NSF STELLAR Engine, we are cementing our status as the global capital for deep-tech innovation. I want to thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her continued leadership and steadfast support of economic development in our region."

City of Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans said, "I want to congratulate Gekko Photonics on their success in Round Nine of the Luminate NY competition and wish them luck in this next, exciting phase of their development as a high-tech job creator in Rochester. Luminate NY gives business leaders a platform to bring their innovative ideas to the marketplace, which further positions our region as the photonics and optics capital of the world. I remain grateful to Governor Hochul and Empire State Development for bringing these 21st century companies to Rochester through Finger Lakes Forward."

To apply for Luminate NY Round 10: visitluminate.org.

To learn more about NextCorps: visitnextcorps.org.

Accelerating Economic Development in the Finger Lakes

Today's announcement complements "Finger Lakes Forward," the region's comprehensive strategy to generate robust economic growth and community development. The regionally designed plan focuses on investing in key industries including photonics, agriculture and food production, and advanced manufacturing. More information is available on the Empire State Development website.

About Empire State Development

Empire State Development (ESD) is New York's chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state's 10 regions, ESD oversees theRegional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through theConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through theOffice of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next-generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state's world-class tourism destinations throughI LOVE NY. For more information, please visitesd.ny.gov.