Participated · Series B · Feb 2025

Lumotive pioneers programmable optics with its patented Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) platform, which turns photonics into a digital, software‑defined solution for sensing, switching, and communication. Its LCM technology is powering compact, solid‑state LiDAR and intelligent perception systems for autonomy, robotics, manufacturing, and smart infrastructure. The company says it holds more than 200 patents and is gaining commercial traction. Recent investments are intended to accelerate product deployments in industrial applications and expand its global market presence. Lumotive positions its semiconductor beamforming chips as a replacement for bulky mechanical optical components, enabling compact, software‑defined sensing for factories, robots, and logistics networks. Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, Lumotive is backed by a broad investor base that the company says will support scaling and commercialization efforts. Lumotive develops programmable optical semiconductors built around its patented light control metasurface (LCM™) chip, a software-defined photonic beamforming solid-state technology. The company says its technology improves perception, increases computing power, and enables reliable high-speed communication across multiple industries. Lumotive highlights applications including 3D sensing and AI computing. Led by CEO Sam Heidari, the company plans to accelerate sales growth of its LCM technology. Lumotive has identified three strategic areas for investment: global market expansion, data center AI infrastructure, and aerospace and defense. Lumotive develops Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) beam‑steering optical semiconductors that enable 3D sensing and software‑defined lidar. Its patented beam‑steering technology is intended to provide advanced perception capabilities for consumer, mobility, and industrial markets. Led by CEO Dr. Sam Heidari and based in Seattle, WA, the company produces optical semiconductor devices and chips. Lumotive raised $13M in a strategic funding round led by Samsung Ventures with participation from new investors USAA and Uniquest. The company will use the proceeds to accelerate development and customer delivery of optical semiconductor devices that enable next‑generation lidar sensors. The new investment brings the company’s total capital raised to more than $56M to date. Lumotive has developed a metamaterials-based lidar system that enables electronic beam steering to improve responsiveness, targeted illumination, and sensitivity compared with mechanically steered systems. The company’s chips are silicon-based, designed for fabrication with standard processes, and operate with ubiquitous 905nm lasers; devices can be sized or shaped for different platforms. In normal sweep mode the system can offer roughly a 20Hz frame rate with a 120×25° field of view and about 1000×256 resolution, while concentrating beam time on small regions for higher temporal and spatial fidelity. Lumotive emerged from Intellectual Ventures’ incubator and holds an exclusive license to IV’s metamaterials IP; its team includes CEO and co‑founder Bill Colleran. The product is currently in prototype but is showable as Lumotive pursues partnerships with automotive and tech firms. Financially, the company has run on a 2017 seed round funded by Bill Gates and Intellectual Ventures and is now seeking additional investment.