2 Calif. Tech Firms Announce Moves, $1.6B Investment in Rochester Photonics

Avogy, a power electronics startup headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and Photonica Inc., a Beverly Hills-based nanopixel technology firm, have announced plans to relocate headquarters and business operations to Rochester as part of the American Institute for Manufacturing (AIM) Photonics Institute.

AIM Photonics will focus on developing and manufacturing integrated photonics technologies under a $610 million public-private initiative awarded last July to a consortium led by the Research Foundation for SUNY (the State University of New York).

Under Phase I of the public-private partnership between Photonica, Avogy and SUNY Polytechnic Institute, the two companies will locate their advanced development, prototyping and early manufacturing operations at the Canal Ponds cleanroom facilities in Greece, N.Y., with a Phase II placement of manufacturing operations at the Eastman Business Park in Rochester, N.Y.

Combined under Phase I, Avogy and Photonica will invest more than $1.6 billion over five years, and create and support more than 1,400 new high-tech jobs.

Photonica will, by itself, create and support 400 new jobs in a project that involves a total investment of $700 million over the next five years, including $35 million from New York State to purchase equipment and upgrade infrastructure and cleanroom space at Canal Ponds and the Eastman park.

SUNY Poly reported that Avogy will scale up production of its current technologies with high-volume manufacturing in Rochester, and will employ nearly 400 workers with an average salary of more than $80,000 within the first five years. Its suppliers and high-tech business partners will generate more than 600 additional support jobs. The total Avogy project investment of $950 million includes $40 million from New York State for necessary tools and facility infrastructure upgrades.

Photonics.com has previously covered workforce development efforts in Rochester following the awarding of AIM Photonics funding to the local consortium.