Invest in Photonics to highlight a range of market opportunities

Sept. 19, 2014

Invest in Photonics, an international business partnering convention, has revealed its line-up of industry speakers, including executives from Amazon, Airbus, Alcatel Lucent Bell Labs, Leica Microsystems, L’Oreal, and Volkswagen.

Invest in Photonics, an international business partnering convention, has revealed its line-up of industry speakers. Amazon’s Babak Parviz and other executives from Airbus, Alcatel Lucent Bell Labs, Leica Microsystems, L’Oreal, and Volkswagen will be among numerous speakers discussing the fast-growth developments of photonics in their respective industries. The Invest in Photonics convention takes place October 9-10 in Bordeaux, France.

The convention focuses on providing venture capitalists with a clear perspective on the most innovative, credible, and profitable market opportunities in photonics.

This year’s event will emphasize four market segments that extensively use photonics to further raise awareness among the financial community. These are consumer electronics, life sciences, aerospace, and transportation, plus energy and the environment.

The two-day conference attracts top industry analysts, private investors, and financial institutions looking to strike deals, SMEs seeking funding, OEMs and end-users. They come together to network and create profitable business opportunities. A select list of 20 innovative European companies will be invited to make elevator pitches during the conference. Invest in Photonics has helped raise EUR 87M (US$119M) in funding since the biennial event began in 2008.

“It is an exciting time for photonics, which is bringing significant innovations to many traditional and emerging markets,” said Thierry Thevenin, head of the Invest in Photonics organizing committee. “At this year’s event, we are honored to welcome to Bordeaux top industry players and thought leaders who will share their experiences and insights on how photonics technologies are creating opportunities for growth in healthcare, consumer electronics, efficient energy, aerospace and transport. The two VC roundtable sessions: ‘Photonics Financing - The Shift from VC to Corporate?’ and ‘What’s up in Alternative Financing?’ will be essential to understanding the important changes taking place in financing.”

Steve Anderson, SPIE industry and market strategist, will give the keynote address. He will provide an industry update, showcase industry performance results and the impact on the global economy. He will also cover the underlying trends in key markets.

Photonics is a global industry currently estimated at US$480B (~EUR 364B), according to market data from the International Society of Optics and Photonics (SPIE).