Living Optics Secures $20 Million from Financial and Strategic Investors to Scale Hyperspectral Camera Business Across Key Vertical Markets and Geographies

OXFORD UK – Living Optics Ltd (“Living Optics” or the “Company”), a hyperspectral camera startup, closed an oversubscribed $20 million financing to scale global deployment of its industry-leading hyperspectral camera platform. This round was led by U.S. and Asia-based venture and growth investor BRV Capital Management.

Additionally, three US-based commercial collaborators have co-invested in this round as the company further expands into the US market: Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture capital arm of Lockheed Corporation (NYSE: LMT), Lam Capital, the corporate venture arm of Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ: LRCX), and Applied Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Applied Materials Corp. (NASDAQ: AMAT).

This investment fuels the company’s rapid US expansion by working with lighthouse customers Applied, Lam and Lockheed Martin in their respective vertical markets for hyperspectral camera systems, as well as team expansion to scale commercially.

David J. Lam, a seasoned global deep technology investor, has joined the Living Optics board. Bryan Kang of BRV Capital has joined as a board observer.

David J. Lam: “Living Optics’ camera platform bridges the physical world and artificial intelligence by capturing rich hyperspectral imaging data for AI-driven applications across semiconductor manufacturing, energy exploration, and human biomarker detection. Built from mass-market camera components, the company’s innovative design delivers exceptional price-performance, unlocking broad new markets for this transformative technology.”

YuanPing Huang, Managing Director from Applied Ventures ITIC Innovation Fund: “Living Optics’ unique technology enables robust and flexible hyperspectral imaging across broad industries. Applied Ventures and ITIC are excited to partner with the team to explore semiconductor applications in the Taiwanese and global advanced manufacturing ecosystems.”

Kevin Chen, Managing Director of Lam Capital and Corporate Development, Lam Research: “As industrial AI applications continue to evolve, the ability to obtain deeper sensor data is increasingly compelling for a range of use cases, including possible applications in semiconductor manufacturing. Living Optics’ hyperspectral cameras offer the capability to capture information about materials, surfaces, and processes for potentially valuable insights.”

Chris Moran, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures: “Persistent, high-fidelity sensing is increasingly central to modern defence operations. Living Optics has developed a highly differentiated hyperspectral platform that unlocks new levels of insight in a compact form factor. We’re pleased to support the team as they scale production and deliver this critical capability to government and commercial customers.”

Robin Wang, Co-founder and CEO of Living Optics: “We’re tremendously pleased that our favourite customers have been promoted to “mandatory friends” – as investors on our cap table. Hyperspectral imaging will soon be everywhere, doing everything, all at once. However, changing the world doesn’t happen overnight, and cannot be done without friends. We’re beyond grateful and we can’t wait to talk more about what we’re building. “

Additionally, British-based investment firm British Business Bank has also taken a stake in Living Optics.

Mark Barry, Senior Investment Director at British Business Bank: “What an excellent syndicate of both financial and strategic investors!  For us this investment into Living Optics reflects the British Business Bank’s commitment to backing companies aligned with the UK’s industrial strategy, particularly in advanced manufacturing and strategically important technologies such as semiconductors.

“Living Optics’ hyperspectral imaging platform is a highly differentiated technology with the potential to unlock new capabilities across a range of critical industries, including industrial inspection, defence, life sciences and environmental monitoring. We are excited by the company’s technical progress to date and believe it is well positioned to strengthen the UK’s position in next-generation sensing and imaging technologies.”

Living Optics’s existing backers in the UK, Oxford Science Enterprises, Octopus Ventures, OTIF Ventures, Braavos Group, and Foresight Group, continue in their support of the company.

Alexander Chamberlain, Senior Associate at OTIF Ventures added: “We are delighted to be continuing our support of Living Optics with their Series A+ funding round. We have been working with Robin and the Living Optics team since the company’s inception, continuing our long-term strategy of backing innovative UK University Spinouts turning scientific research into products addressing the world’s greatest challenges.”