Edinburgh-based Photon Force – a leading provider of time-resolved, single photon sensitive cameras – has received a Business Start-Up Award from the Institute of Physics (IOP).
Photon Force was nominated for the IOP Award by QuantIC, the UK’s Quantum Technology Hub in Quantum Enhanced Imaging. QuantIC harnesses fundamental research into quantum physics and photonics, and brings together industry and academia collaboratively to revolutionise imaging across industrial, scientific and consumer markets.
IOP Award Nomination
Commenting on the decision to nominate Photon Force for the prestigious IOP Award, Steve Beaumont, Director at QuantIC, said:
“QuantIC is pleased to have been able to support Photon Force through collaborative R&D projects and colocation at exhibitions. We look forward to working with them in their future growth and are proud of their achievement in winning this award.”
The IOP Business Start-Up Award recognises companies that have been formed within the past five years, with a great product or service founded on a physics-based invention that has the potential for business growth and a meaningful impact on society. The Awards are unique in the UK and Ireland in recognising the significant contribution that physicists and physics make in the industry.
Institute of Physics President, Jonathan Flint, said: “The IOP Business Awards recognise and reward the achievements of physics-based businesses of all sizes; innovative companies that have developed new technologies or repurposed existing ones, and that are at the cutting edge of the UK and Ireland’s scientific research and development.”
Founded in 2015 as a spin-out from Robert Henderson’s renowned CMOS Sensors and Systems Group at the University of Edinburgh, Photon Force has won the IOP accolade for the development of its ground-breaking sensors that enable ultrafast, single photon sensitive imaging. Photon Force sensors are used worldwide and facilitate progress in applications including quantum physics, communications and biomedical imaging/neuroscience.
In addition to being available in component form to enhance third-party innovations, Photon Force’s revolutionary sensor technology is the central point of the company’s PF32 camera range, which offers the highest available throughput on the market. By shrinking the timing electronics to fit within each image sensor pixel, the PF32 camera is the fastest system available, with a time resolution of tens of picoseconds. For end users, this makes a material difference, allowing many to take research and applications to the next level.
“We are thrilled to win an Institute of Physics Business Start-Up Award; it’s a fantastic endorsement of the work we do to make a positive contribution to the global scientific community. And, as with many other innovations rooted in science and academia, we are also seeing increasing interest and uptake from consumer industries that will enable Photon Force to impact society more directly. It’s a really exciting time for us and our IOP award has given us a sense of validation as we grow our company further. We’re hugely grateful to QuantIC for nominating us and we’re looking forward to continuing our partnership and collaboration with QuantIC and the team there.”
Dr Richard Walker, CEO of Photon ForceThe Institute of Physics award continues a history of recognition that Photon Force has enjoyed since conception. To start the company, Founder & CEO Dr Richard Walker secured an RSE Enterprise Fellowship and then secured first place in the Converge Challenge Competition, Scotland’s premier company formation competition, securing a £65k award from the Scottish Edge Fund and further R&D funding from Innovate UK.
