Mar 28 2014
Invest in Photonics(R), a two-day international business partnering convention focused exclusively on photonics venture capital investment, will return October 9 – 10, 2014 in Bordeaux, France.
Photonics is projected to represent a USD 620 billion global industry by 2020 (SPIE world market figures). It is an enabling technology increasingly deployed across multiple industries from healthcare to materials processing in production and more recently for the Internet of Things (IoT). It is used in everyday products such as mobile devices.
The fourth biennial event will highlight important photonics developments in five industrial areas exhibiting sustainable growth: the life sciences, consumer electronics, advanced manufacturing (3D printing), the environment and energy efficiency, aerospace and transport. Attendees will receive exclusive market data on these industries, helping them identify the hottest trends and the best potential for high investment returns. An influential line-up of keynote speakers will be announced shortly.
Invest in Photonics presents a rare opportunity to bring together top industry analysts, private investors and financial institutions, SMEs seeking funding, OEMs and end-users to pave the way to create profitable business opportunities and network. The organizers aim to attract 200 international delegates and guests.
“Photonics has risen from a niche activity to become a key enabling technology that in the 21st century has evolved to become 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 USD 480 billion in 2012 to USD 620 billion in the next few years. VCs attending Invest in Photonics will get the market facts and figures necessary to evaluate true investment opportunities in emerging technologies leading to disruptive innovations. Attending photonics companies will be able to interest audiences in the challenges in healthcare and safety, smart buildings, wearable devices and other applications they are addressing. SMEs can network to help get their innovations on the fast track. Invest in Photonics is a must-attend event for industry players looking to be part of tomorrow’s growth.”
At each Invest in Photonics event, a number of carefully chosen companies present an elevator pitch of their projects to a panel of VCs from around the world. To date the exposure gained at the event has helped selected companies raise USD 119 million in funding. Registration for applicants opens in April 2014. For more details: http://www.invest-in-photonics.com
The European photonics industry employs about 290,000 people directly, many of these in the over 5,000 photonics SMEs. Photonics also has a substantial leverage effect on the European economy and workforce: 20-30 per cent of the economy and 10 per cent of the workforce depend on photonics, directly impacting around 30 million jobs. (Source: ‘Towards 2020 – Photonics Driving Economic Growth in Europe’, Photonics21 Multiannual Strategic Roadmap 2014 – 2020)
About Invest in Photonics(R)
Invest in Photonics(R) is the only European partnering convention focused exclusively on leading investments in photonics. 2014 will see the fourth Invest in Photonics, the biennial event where investors are presented with the most innovative, credible and profitable business ventures in photonics. The two-day event creates strategic investment opportunities by bringing together institutional investors and venture capitalists with the world’s experts on photonics, industry leaders, analysts and photonics entrepreneurs in a single venue. Early stage companies seeking seed funding, development and later stage financing can successfully network with qualified international panels of investors and potential partners to further business projects. Featuring recognized speakers from world leading companies, Invest in Photonics’ conferences provide the highest quality data on market trends and engage participants in informational exchanges on photonics developments.
The event, jointly organized by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, ALPhA (Aquitaine Laser Photonics and Applications) technology cluster and CEA, the largest government-funded technological research organization in France, takes place in Bordeaux, France, host of the Laser Megajoule. The region is recognized as a center for photonics.