Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOFJena | April 30, 2026
Six startup teams selected at the DIHP pitch
Funding Awarded for Innovative Research and Startup Ideas
The stage is set for innovation: At this year’s Digital Innovation Hub Photonics (DIHP) Pitch on April 20, eleven teams from across Germany presented their forward-looking ideas in the fields of optics and photonics. The six most compelling concepts will now receive targeted research support to transform their approaches into marketable applications. The pitches took place at the offices of Technologie und Innovationspark Jena GmbH (TIP) on Jena’s Beutenberg Campus.
The DIHP focuses on promoting technology-oriented startup ideas. Universities and research institutions in the fields of optics and photonics collaborate here to foster spin-offs from academia and to support startups. On April 20, the Hub invited as (aspiring) founders for the eighth time to present their innovative research and business projects at a so-called “DIHP Pitch”: Participants had four minutes to deliver a concise presentation of their research idea, followed by an equally lengthy Q&A session with a high-caliber jury drawn from business, research, and the startup ecosystem. In addition to technological excellence, market potential and feasibility played a central role in the selection process.
The range of projects presented this year spanned from precision sensors for extreme environments to photonic AI architectures and solutions for sustainable agriculture and quantum-secure communication. Of the eleven pitches in total, four projects involved photonic solutions for use in space. The winning ideas include, among others, a compact photonic displacement sensor (“LumiNUM”), a satellite-based system for eavesdropping-proof data transmission (“Quatherion”), as well as innovative approaches to energy-efficient computing and optical metrology.
These are the winners of the DIHP Pitch 2026
The winners in the “Innovative Startups / Aspiring Entrepreneurs” category at this year’s DIHP Pitch are:
- LumiNUM (Thomas Pickert, Munich): Compact photonic displacement sensor for extreme environmental conditions
- Photonics-EdgeAI (Carlo Fritz, Stuttgart): Reference architecture for energy-efficient computing through photonics-assisted AI inference
- Quatherion (Juan Medel, Munich): Satellite-based system for quantum-secure communication
- OrbitalPIC (Vidhi Desai & Tanmay Gupta, London/Jena): Photonics-based computing units for AI applications directly in space
The winners in the “Start-ups” category (teams in the process of founding a company or already founded companies (startups)) are:
- PoLightFilters (Cologne): Development of optical filter technologies with a focus on space applications.
- Active Medical Xcellence GmbH (Jena): Development of medical laser systems for urological applications
The winners of the DIHP Pitch 2026.
Thuringia’s Minister of Economic Affairs emphasizes “innovation potential in the combination of research and entrepreneurial spirit”
“The DIHP impressively demonstrates the innovation potential inherent in the combination of research and entrepreneurial spirit. Especially in key technologies such as photonics, we need bold founders who are willing to break new ground,” emphasized Thuringia’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Colette Boos-John. “Through targeted funding, we are laying the groundwork for excellent ideas to grow into successful companies.”
Prof. Dr. Andreas Tünnermann, Director of Fraunhofer IOF, where the coordination of the the DIHP resides, underscored the importance of the program: “Programs like the DIHP are essential for translating scientific excellence into economic value creation. They give talented individuals the opportunity to further develop their ideas in a real-world conditions.”
Dr. Sebastian Händschke, head of the DIHP, echoes this sentiment and emphasizes the uniqueness of the program in Germany and Thuringia’s exceptional and pioneering position: “There are very few programs where (research-oriented) aspiring founders (before founding) and young companies (after founding) receive support in both technological and entrepreneurial aspects. The DIHP is one of them. The scientific excellence in photonics exerts a strong gravitational force and attracts founders from both within and outside Thuringia, as evidenced by the national and international pool of applicants and winners.”
A jury evaluated the presentations.
Research budgets amounting to approximately five person-months each
This year, the winning teams received research budgets equivalent to approximately five person-months each, which can be utilized at one of the participating institutions. One person-month corresponds to the work output of a research specialist over the course of one month. This allows the teams, for example, to work with a doctoral candidate or postdoctoral researcher to further develop their ideas - a crucial step from concept to application.
This was the eighth time the pitch event has been held.
About the DIHP
The Digital Innovation Hub Photonics (DIHP) is a consortial project funded by the Ministry of Economics, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs of the Free State of Thuringia. The DIHP was launched in 2019 as a pilot project at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (Fraunhofer IOF). Additional partners joined in the next phase, that began in 2022:
- Abbe Center of Photonics at Friedrich Schiller University Jena
- Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences Jena
- Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technologies (Leibniz-IPHT)
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI)
- Helmholtz Institute Jena
The DIHP aims to promote technology transfer from academia to industry, particularly through spin-offs and collaborations with existing startups. This promotion involves also close collaboration with other partners in Jena and Thuringia, e.g. the startup and technology transfer services at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and at Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences as well as the Thuringian Center for Start-ups and Entrepreneurship (ThEx). Together with JENA Digital, Fraunhofer IOF, and OptoNet e.V., DIHP is part of the de:hub Photonics & Digital Experience Platform in Jena and thus of the nationwide de:hub initiative.
Andreas Tünnermann and Colette Boos-John.
Numerous spin-offs supported since 2019
Funded by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs, the DIHP provides targeted support for spin-offs and collaborative projects in the field of photonics. Since its founding in 2019, the DIHP has supported numerous spin-off teams from the participating research institutions in Jena, some of which have grown into highly successful deep tech startups—notably SPACEOPTIX GmbH, Robust AO GmbH, Quantum Optics Jena GmbH, and DeepEn GmbH. In addition, numerous other regional, national, and international startup teams have received support, including FluIDect GmbH and IDloop GmbH in Jena. In total, these companies have already created over 200 jobs in Thuringia.
The Thuringian Innovation Hubs—including not only the DIHP but also the iHUB in Ilmenau—are unique initiatives in Germany developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Society and, together with initiatives such as “get started 2gether” and “TRIP,” form part of the state’s overall strategy to promote knowledge transfer and innovative startups. Both hubs will receive funding from the Free State of Thuringia from 2024 through the end of 2026, totaling 4.2 million euros.
Outstanding Technology Transfer from Jena
In May 2025, Fraunhofer IOF, together with DIHP and Quantum Optics Jena GmbH, was awarded the Technology Transfer Prize of the German Physical Society (DPG) for the successful transfer of quantum optical research into marketable high-security applications.