Singular Photonics Raises £1M to Pioneer Semiconductor Technology for 4D Imaging
March 18, 2025
Singular Photonics, a UK semiconductor company, has raised £1 million from the Scottish Venture Fund, Cambridge Angels, and Old College Capital (OCC Ventures) to develop its photonic integrated circuit technology for 4D imaging applications. The company is translating advanced photonics research into manufacturable semiconductor components that enable high-resolution, real-time three-dimensional imaging with depth information — a capability with applications across autonomous vehicles, robotics, industrial inspection, medical imaging, and augmented reality.
4D imaging — capturing the three spatial dimensions of an object or scene plus time, producing a moving volumetric representation — is one of the most technically demanding requirements in modern imaging systems. It underpins the perception stack of autonomous vehicles, which need to detect and track objects in three dimensions in real time across varying lighting conditions. It is essential for advanced robotic manipulation, where a robot arm must understand the precise geometry of objects it is picking or placing. It enables new medical imaging modalities that can capture tissue structure and motion without ionising radiation. And it is the foundation of the immersive spatial computing experiences that AR and mixed reality devices are designed to deliver.
The key enabling technology for 4D imaging systems — particularly those based on LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) or structured light approaches — is the photonic integrated circuit that generates, modulates, and detects the light used for sensing. Singular Photonics is developing photonic chip designs that can be manufactured using standard semiconductor processes, making them compatible with high-volume production at the cost and scale required for consumer and automotive applications. The combination of Scottish Venture Fund, Cambridge Angels, and Old College Capital reflects the company's connections to both the Scottish photonics research community and the Cambridge photonics and semiconductor ecosystem.
The funding will be used to develop the company's photonic chip designs, validate performance in target imaging applications, and build the commercial relationships with imaging system developers needed to advance towards commercial adoption.
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