Where investment meets innovation

25 Nov 2009

Invest in Photonics, a European partnering convention for emerging photonics companies and investors, will hold its second event next March

Upwards of 200 participants are expected to attend the next Invest in Photonics meeting, an international partnering convention that aims to "create funding opportunities for early-stage photonics firms and raise the profile of photonics as a growth industry".

Invest in Photonics 2010 will be held in Bordeaux, France, on 18–19 March. The event will enable emerging photonics companies to showcase their innovations in front of an audience of venture capitalists, institutional investors and potential technology licensees from a wide range of established manufacturers.

At the previous Invest in Photonics event in 2008, the organizers received some 50 international applications for funding, with 16 companies (several of them from outside of France) subsequently invited to present their projects at the meeting.

Small and medium-sized enterprises looking for seed funding, development or later-stage funding have until 15 December to submit their proposals for the 2010 meeting. The organizers will announce the finalists in February 2010.

"Invest in Photonics is about creating investment opportunities in Europe – the field of photonics is bursting with innovation," said Bernard Couillaud, chairman of the Invest in Photonics organizing committee.