eyeo, a company specializing in nanophotonic imaging technology, announced today that it has raised €40 million in Series A funding, bringing its total funding to €55 million. The round is led by Innovation Industries, with participation from existing investors imec.xpand, Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund, QBIC fund, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), and Brabant Development Agency (BOM). The funding will accelerate eyeo's drive to bring seven years of proven nanophotonic science to market as production-ready color-splitting sensors.
eyeo's technology addresses a fundamental flaw in traditional image sensors: color filter arrays, which have been used for decades, block approximately 70% of incoming light. Instead of filtering photons, eyeo's nanophotonic color-splitting technology guides light directly to individual pixels, capturing all incoming light and enabling full light sensitivity and native color fidelity. This innovation allows image sensors to capture three times more light, significantly improving performance in low-light conditions and enabling smaller pixel sizes.
The impact of eyeo's technology extends across a $30 billion imaging market, including smartphones, extended reality (XR) devices, smart city applications, and more. For consumers, this could mean drastically improved camera performance in smartphones, especially in low-light environments, without increasing the size of the camera module. For industries such as autonomous vehicles, security, and medical imaging, the ability to capture more light with greater accuracy could enhance perception and diagnostic capabilities.
eyeo's sensors are compatible with any CMOS sensor platform and support sub-0.5-micron pixels, enabling ultra-compact, high-performance imaging where image quality is critical. The company is headquartered at High Tech Campus Eindhoven in the Netherlands, with a sensor design center in Antwerp, Belgium.
“This funding validates our vision to fundamentally reimagine how image sensors work,” said Guillaume Butin, eyeo's press contact. “By overcoming the 70% light loss inherent in traditional color filters, we are unlocking new possibilities for imaging across multiple industries.”
The Series A round is led by Innovation Industries, a deep tech investor. “eyeo’s technology is a breakthrough that can reshape the imaging landscape,” said a representative from Innovation Industries. “We are excited to support their journey from lab to market.”
As eyeo moves toward commercialization, the implications for the imaging industry are significant. The ability to capture all incoming light without color filter arrays could lead to higher resolution sensors with smaller pixels, enabling thinner devices and better image quality. This could also reduce the need for computational photography techniques that compensate for light loss, simplifying image processing and improving authenticity.
For more information about eyeo and its technology, visit eyeo.tech.
