Jo Shien Ng

Professor Jo Shien Ng is a Professor of Semiconductor Devices at the University of Sheffield, where she has built a distinguished career in the research and development of novel optical detectors. Her deep expertise in compound semiconductor materials, and in particular in the physics of avalanche photodiodes, underpinned much of the foundational research that led to the creation of Phlux Technology.

Jo Shien co-founded Phlux in 2020 alongside Ben White and Professor Chee Hing Tan, commercialising more than eight years of collaborative research at Sheffield into the world's first antimony-based infrared sensors. As an academic co-founder she has led numerous commercially focused R&D projects and maintains strong ties with industry, combining rigorous academic standards with an applied focus on delivering manufacturable, market-ready products.

Phlux's Noiseless InGaAs Avalanche Photodiodes are up to 12 times more sensitive than conventional alternatives, extending the range of LiDAR, rangefinder, and optical fibre systems by up to 50%. The company raised a €10.7 million Series A in 2025 led by BGF and Octopus Ventures and has won the Institute of Physics Business Start-Up Award 2024.