The winner of the Global Photonics Engineering Contest, Perceptra from San Francisco, is setting a new benchmark for real-time molecular monitoring. Their innovation could transform biomanufacturing and process industries by making lab-grade raman spectrometers compact, affordable, and scalable.

Led by Amir Atabaki, the Perceptra team is tackling a critical bottleneck: traditional Raman analyzers are bulky, expensive, and ill-suited for real-time deployment at scale. Perceptra’s solution? Shrink the technology by 1,000× and slash the cost by 100×, without compromising sensitivity.

Perceptra will receive €50,000 worth of services to bring their concept to life and the opportunity to raise a favorable loan of up to €2 million with PhotonDelta to kick-start the company’s growth. Its solution has the ability to transform the biotech industry which will help bring lifesaving innovations to market faster. To help launch Perceptra’s innovative solution, PhotonDelta will showcase this winning submission at the upcoming industry leading PIC Summit Europe 2025, which brings together 600 industry experts from over 25 countries in Eindhoven, the Netherlands on, November 4th and 5th. 

Reimagining Raman Spectroscopy

At the heart of Perceptra’s breakthrough is their use of a hybrid Silicon Nitride (SiN) and Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) platform. Rather than relying on traditional dispersive spectrometers, they deploy on-chip tunable lasers to perform swept-source Raman spectroscopy. This architecture allows them to eliminate bulky dispersive spectrometers, drastically reduce system size, and enable high-sensitivity molecular analysis directly on the chip.

Key Features:

• Ultra-compact design – a 1,000× reduction in size compared to traditional systems.

• Low-cost architecture – 100× cheaper to produce and deploy.

• High sensitivity – comparable to lab-scale Raman systems.

• Self-contained operation – no external optics or fibers needed.

Applications Across Industries

While the immediate focus is on biomanufacturing, such as real-time monitoring of bioreactors, Perceptra's technology has far-reaching implications. Potential application areas include:

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing – real-time batch monitoring and validation.

• Chemical processing – ensuring purity and process control.

• Food and agriculture – quality assurance and contamination detection.

By bringing Raman analysis out of specialized labs and into everyday production environments, Perceptra is unlocking new possibilities for automation, quality control, and efficiency.

A Clear Path to Commercialization

Perceptra has already validated its concept by building three functional prototypes using discrete components. The next milestone is developing the first fully integrated PIC-based version of its Raman analyzer.

This transition will not only further miniaturize and enhance the device's durability but also position it for mass production, a critical step toward widespread adoption across industries.

Among a field of extraordinary innovators, Perceptra stood out by combining technical excellence, clear commercial potential, and a bold vision for how photonics can transform critical industries. Their work exemplifies how integrated photonics is moving beyond research labs to solve real-world problems with real-world impact.

As they continue their development journey, Perceptra’s technology could soon become a cornerstone of smart, connected industrial ecosystems.

“The PhotonDelta Global Engineering Award will help us build our first chip-scale systems and bring us closer to realizing our mission. Photonic sensors are becoming an essential part of the perception stack in next-generation autonomous systems and Perceptra aims to bring ‘molecular perception’ to autonomous R&D and manufacturing systems in the biotech industry and beyond. We look forward to engaging with the PhotonDelta ecosystem to bring our solution to the market,” Amir Atabaki from Perceptra explained. 

Enabling the cutting edge of Integrated Photonics

The Global Photonics Engineering Contest received 33 high-caliber entries from over 15 countries from all continents. In total, over 350 organizations engaged with the contest worldwide. Contest entries were judged on the level of innovation, technical and commercial feasibility, and how effectively the design addresses current industry challenges. Participants were required to submit detailed descriptions of their projects, including team information and supporting visuals or videos. 

The contest was backed by a €60 million fund from PhotonDelta, set up to fund new startups and innovative applications in the photonic chip industry. By offering favorable loans to companies, the fund supports entrepreneurs in turning their ideas into viable businesses. This initiative aims to foster innovation at the earliest stages, encouraging the development of new technologies and applications that can shape the future of the PIC industry. Follow the PhotonDelta profile for more highlights from the challenge.