Invest in Photonics to return in October

Invest in Photonics, a two-day international business convention focused exclusively on photonics-related venture capital investment, is set to return to Bordeaux, France, on Oct. 9 and 10.

The fourth biennial convention brings together industry analysts, private investors, financial institutions, enterprises, manufacturers and end users to create profitable business opportunities. Organizers expect approximately 200 international delegates and guests to attend.

Photonics has evolved from a “niche activity” into a key enabling technology and even “one of the most important industries for the future,” said Giorgio Anania, chairman of Invest in Photonics 2014. “It is a dynamic and vibrant industrial sector that holds the potential for huge market growth up from $480 billion in 2012 to $620 billion in the next few years.”

The European photonics industry directly employs about 290,000 people and economically impacts more than 30 million others, according to the Photonics21 Multiannual Strategic Roadmap. The event will highlight the five industrial areas of advanced manufacturing, aerospace and transport, consumer electronics, energy efficiency and the environment, and the life sciences.

A number of carefully chosen companies will present their projects to a panel of venture capitalists through elevator pitches. To date, the event has helped various companies raise $119 million in funding. Google, Novaled, Wellington Partners and Adams Capital Management, among others, will be in attendance.