The Challenge offers a unique opportunity for early-stage companies to gain visibility, mentorship, and funding to advance their photonics-based technologies. The competition is open to all types of businesses, from startups to established companies with innovative photonics-based solutions. **Key features of the 2025 SPIE Startup Challenge:**

* **Focus on Photonics:** The competition exclusively focuses on businesses developing and commercializing photonics-based technologies, solutions, and products.

The Startup Challenge is a competition for startups developing innovative products in photonics-enabled healthcare and deep tech. The competition will feature industry-judged pitches from finalists, with judges including venture capitalists and business-development experts from the photonics industry. **Detailed Text:**

The Startup Challenge, a competition designed to foster innovation in photonics-enabled healthcare and deep tech, is set to attract a diverse array of promising startups. The competition will culminate in a series of industry-judged pitches from finalists, showcasing the most promising ventures in these fields.