Following an active March, photonics venture activity in April appears to have been much more subdued, with a couple of ultrafast laser deals being the most notable. At the beginning of the month, ViaLase, a clinical-stage company utilizing femtosecond laser technology for treating glaucoma, announced that the company had raised a $40 million Series C financing. Although the lead investor was not disclosed, the round included existing investors Venture Investors Health Fund, Arboretum Ventures, and Falcon Vision, an ophthalmology investment platform supported by KKR. Later in the month, Italian startup Lithium Lasers announced a €2 million seed round led by Primo Ventures and 360 Capital. The company is developing ultrashort-pulse lasers primarily aimed at industrial materials processing.
Although this column focuses primarily on the companies receiving venture funding since most venture firms themselves invest broadly in terms of technology, it is worth noting that there are a few venture firms whose investment thesis is centered on photonics. One of those firms, Netherlands-based PhotonVentures, announced in April that it had added €15 million to its current fund, bringing the total in the fund to €75 million. The firm is focused on investments in integrated semiconductor photonics.