QE-CDT students Jake Biele and Dominic Sulway from cohort 4 set up their own company Light Trace Photonics after graduating from the CDT.

In November 2022, Light Trace Photonics secured Innovate UK’s Fast Start: Innovation Grant. The grant, which supports early-stage startups developing technologies towards net-zero, allowed Light Trace Photonics to develop a revolutionary photonics prototyping suite designed to help companies perform more sustainable photonics R&D by increasing productivity and reducing lab waste. Dr. Dominic Sulway, Light Trace’s Chief Technical Officer, explains: “The current approach to prototyping in photonics R&D is limited by sub-optimal components which are seldom tailored to the innovation at hand, and which often require many hours of difficult calibration and bulk alignment. These issues result in inefficient and costly R&D which ultimately limits impact.” Light Trace’s prototyping suite uses cutting-edge technology to provide researchers with a one-stop-shop, plug-and-play solution to their component needs, saving both time and money. Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jake Biele, says: “Thanks to the support of Innovate UK, I have been able to join Light Trace as its first full-time employee. This exciting step will allow me to focus all my time and energy on Light Trace’s core mission of unlocking the full potential of photonics with new and innovative products that ease photonics R&D.” Jake Biele, from cohort 4 won the Young Innovators award 2022 from UKRI. Jake is currently building a prototype device, funded by Innovate UK’s Fast Start grant. He aims to launch his first product in 2024. “The Young Innovators Award is a formal recognition of the hard work and self-belief I have had to rely on to launch a deep tech startup. Everything I’ve learnt so far about launching a business has been self-taught or from the goodwill of other entrepreneurs,” Jake says. “I’m looking forward to gaining access to tailored commercial and strategic advice from a mentor that has considerable experience in industry.” In February 2023 Light Trace Photonics, along with several other leading startups, secured funding from the University of Bristol’s Jim & Peggy Wilkinson Innovation Fund