Sandia spinout developing high-power VCSEL arrays for solid-state LiDAR and 3D sensing in autonomous vehicles; acquired by II-VI Incorporated in 2021.
TriLumina is a photonics company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, spun out of Sandia National Laboratories and focused on high-power vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser arrays for solid-state LiDAR and advanced driver-assistance systems. The company's core technology is a patented flip-chip, back-emitting VCSEL architecture that integrates hundreds of individual emitters, electronic beam-steering elements, and wafer-scale micro-lenses onto a single compact semiconductor chip. These illumination modules emit infrared laser pulses in the 940 nm spectrum and are designed to replace the large, expensive mechanical scanning LiDAR units used in autonomous vehicle development programs.
TriLumina's VCSEL arrays enable two-dimensional, solid-state LiDAR systems capable of high resolution and long-range sensing in a form factor suitable for mass-market automotive integration. The company demonstrated a 256-pixel 3D solid-state LiDAR system at CES 2017 and CES 2018, targeting both autonomous driving and ADAS applications. Its low-cost laser illumination modules were sampled to major Tier 1 automotive suppliers as part of the company's commercialization effort.
The company raised a Series A round of approximately $8.5 million led by Stage 1 Ventures, followed by an additional $9 million equity and debt financing round closed in May 2017 that included investors Kickstart Seed Fund, Cottonwood Technology Fund, Sun Mountain Capital, and DENSO Ventures. Caterpillar's venture arm also acquired a stake in the company. DENSO, a major global automotive components supplier, participated as both an investor and a potential customer, reflecting the automotive industry's interest in scalable, cost-effective LiDAR illumination solutions.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Solid-state 940nm flip-chip back-emitting VCSEL laser array for LiDAR and 3D sensing
Surface-mount flip-chip back-emitting VCSEL array without submount for illumination
Contact TriLumina
WEBSITE
https://www.trilumina.comPHONE
+1 505-314-0688HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2011
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
employees 10-50
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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