What Adaps Photonics does

Adaps Photonics (灵明光子), founded in 2018 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, designs and manufactures SPAD (Single Photon Avalanche Diode) and dToF (direct Time-of-Flight) sensor chips for 3D depth perception. The company leverages proprietary BSI 3D-stacking technology with Cu-Cu hybrid bonding to combine back-illuminated SPAD sensor arrays with custom DSP logic dies, achieving world-record Photon Detection Efficiency of 45% at 905nm and ultra-fine TDC timing resolution of 62.5ps. Its product portfolio spans five core lines: ADS6311 (Hawk) ultra-high-resolution 768x576 SPAD array for solid-state LiDAR; ADS6401 (Swift) spot dToF chip for smartphones and XR devices; P5 Series Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) for LiDAR receivers; ADS6303 (Woodpecker) 240x160 array for 3D imaging; and ADS6102 (Hummer) single-point ranging chip for autofocus and proximity sensing. The company also offers module solutions and evaluation kits to accelerate customer integration.

Adaps serves four primary customer segments: automotive LiDAR manufacturers (HASCO, Liangdao Intelligence, Lumotive, SAIC-linked ventures), consumer electronics OEMs (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 integration, Xiaomi ecosystem, OPPO), robotics companies (Guangjie Technology's Nebula 300 camera, consumer vacuum robots), and smart home/IoT device makers. The company reports automotive LiDAR receiver chip shipment market leadership and has secured AEC-Q102 (SiPM, April 2023) and AEC-Q100 (ADS6311, January 2026) certifications required for automotive supply. Named design wins include flagship partnerships with HASCO Automotive Electronics for ultra-thin solid-state LiDAR and Lumotive for the MD42 Development Kit. Revenue is generated primarily through direct B2B chip and module sales to tier-1 OEMs and LiDAR manufacturers, supplemented by technology licensing and co-development arrangements. The company employs 100+ people across Shenzhen, Shanghai Zhangjiang, Hangzhou, and Deqing locations, with 80%+ in R&D and 10+ PhDs from Stanford and Delft University of Technology.

The business model combines enterprise field sales with embedded OEM integration through tier-1 LiDAR makers. Adaps participates actively in industry events (CES, CIOE, DVN Automotive Sensing, SPIE Photonics West) and technical conferences to establish thought leadership. Notable recognition includes MIIT designation as national-level 'Key Little Giant' enterprise, 2024 'China Chip' Excellent Technology Innovation Product award for ADS6311, and 2025 VENTURE50 hard technology investment award. The company has filed over 100 patents domestically and internationally covering SPAD device design, 3D-stacking processes, and signal processing algorithms, and is pursuing patent litigation against competitor RoboSense.

Name

Adaps Photonics

Legal name

深圳市灵明光子科技有限公司

Website

https://adapsphotonics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Adaps Photonics (灵明光子) is a Shenzhen-based semiconductor company designing SPAD-based dToF sensor chips with BSI 3D-stacking technology for 3D depth perception. It serves automotive LiDAR manufacturers, consumer electronics OEMs, robotics companies, and smart home device makers with five product lines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SPAD-based dToF Sensor Chips

NAICS

Power, Distribution, and Specialty Transformer Manufacturing (335311), Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

LiDAR & 3D Sensing Modules (HDAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM), Photodiodes & Discrete Photodetectors (HDAHAHAL), Optical & Light Sensors (Photodiodes/ALS/Color/UV) (HDAHALAE)

Keywords

• SPAD sensor chips
• DToF depth sensing
• Silicon photomultiplier
• LiDAR receiver chips
• 3D imaging semiconductors

Headquarters

HQ city

Shenzhen

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SPAD and dToF Sensor Chip Sales: Sale of SPAD-based sensor chips including SiPM, 3D-stacked dToF modules, and single/few-point dToF sensors. Chips are sold to automotive LiDAR manufacturers, consumer electronics OEMs, and robotics companies. Single-point products have achieved mass production and shipment in consumer products such as smartphones and smart home devices.
2. dToF System Solutions and Modules: Sale of dToF module solutions including evaluation kits, development boards, and system-level modules. The company provides turnkey module products alongside chips to accelerate customer time-to-market.
3. Licensing of SPAD Technology: Technology licensing and co-development arrangements with strategic partners. SiPM products have completed automotive regulatory preparation (AEC-Q102) and mass production readiness, with products being introduced into downstream automotive, consumer electronics, smart home, and industrial customer products.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Adaps Photonics designs and manufactures high-performance SPAD (Single Photon Avalanche Diode)-based dToF (direct Time-of-Flight) sensor chips and modules that enable 3D depth perception for automotive LiDAR, smartphones, XR devices, robotics, and smart home applications. The product family includes SiPM devices, 3D-stacked large-format dToF arrays, and single/few-point dToF sensors built using proprietary BSI 3D-stacking with Cu-Cu hybrid bonding.

Product overview

Adaps Photonics (灵明光子) provides a family of SPAD-based dToF sensor chips and system solutions for 3D perception, consisting of five main product lines: the ADS6311 (Hawk) ultra-high-resolution pure solid-state LiDAR SPADIS chip with 768x576 SPAD pixels forming 256x192 point clouds; the ADS6401 (Swift) low-power 3D-stacked spot dToF chip for consumer electronics with RGBD fusion; the Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) product line for LiDAR receivers; the ADS6303 (Woodpecker) high-resolution single-photon imaging chip for SLAM and AR; and the ADS6102 (Hummer) single-point ranging chip for autofocus and proximity sensing. All products use BSI 3D-stacking technology with Cu-Cu hybrid bonding, delivering industry-leading photon detection efficiency (up to 45% at 905nm), automotive-grade reliability (AEC-Q100, AEC-Q102), and span applications from automotive LiDAR and robotics to smartphones, XR devices, and smart home systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ADS6311 (Hawk): Ultra-high resolution pure solid-state LiDAR SPAD array chip with 768x576 SPADs achieving 256x192 point cloud resolution
• ADS6401 (Swift)
• ADS6303 (Woodpecker)
• ADS6102 (Hummer)
• P5 Series SiPM

Products and services

• ADS6311 (Hawk) Pure Solid-State Large-Format SPAD dToF Chip and Module Ultra-high resolution pure solid-state LiDAR SPAD array chip with 768x576 SPAD pixels forming 256x192 point cloud resolution (approximately 440,000 grayscale pixels). Built on BSI 3D-stacking technology with loop-based TDC design, achieving centimeter-level accuracy and AEC-Q100 automotive grade. Used for automotive blind-spot LiDAR, robotics 3D SLAM, and industrial 3D cameras.
• ADS6401 (Swift) Series SPAD dToF Chip and Module Low-power 3D-stacked Spot SPAD dToF chip supporting spot, line, and area illumination with up to 960-point depth resolution. Includes TDC bin width of 62.5ps, RGBD fusion with camera systems, glass detection, and multi-path suppression. Powers autofocus, cinematic mode, SLAM, and AR interaction in smartphones and XR devices.
• Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) P5 Series Silicon Photomultiplier products designed for LiDAR receiver ends. Feature up to 25% photon detection efficiency (PDE) at 905nm (rising to 45% per CIOE 2025 update), near 100% fill factor, high-temperature operation up to 105°C, and low afterpulse probability. AEC-Q102 Grade 1 certified for automotive LiDAR applications.
• ADS6303 (Woodpecker) Series Single-Photon Imaging Chip and dToF Module High-resolution single-photon imaging chip and dToF module under the SPADIS architecture using world-leading 3D-stacking technology. Features 240x160 array resolution, 60°x45° distortion-free FOV, 26m indoor / 10m outdoor range, up to 60Hz frame rate, and centimeter-level accuracy. Used for 3D object recognition, SLAM, AR interaction, and obstacle avoidance.
• ADS6102 (Hummer) Single-Point Ranging dToF Chip and Module Integrated single-point ranging dToF chip measuring up to 5m with ±1cm accuracy. Integrates SPAD array with laser drive circuit and 940nm VCSEL, supports I2C (1MHz) and SPI (50MHz) interfaces, and outputs distance/brightness/confidence for up to three targets simultaneously. Applications include camera autofocus (LDAF), proximity detection, collision avoidance, and gesture recognition.
• ADS6134 4x4 Multi-Zone dToF Sensor Industry-first 4x4 multi-zone dToF architecture for right-sized spatial sensing. 940nm VCSEL with Class 1 eye safety compliance. On-chip histogram processing reduces host processor load. Up to 4.8m effective range with ambient light and crosstalk suppression. Designed for robotic vacuums, smart projectors, and smart lighting applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• PDE of 45% at 905nm — world record level, far exceeding industry average of 5-18%
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• LumotiveflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2024Joint development of MD42 Development Kit combining Lumotive's LCM beam steering technology with Adaps' ADS6311 SPAD dToF sensor. Reduces LiDAR development cycle from 18 months to 3-6 months. Targets autonomous vehicles, robotics, and industrial automation.
• 华域汽车电子分公司 (HASCO Automotive Electronics Subsidiary)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2024Joint development of ultra-thin all-solid-state LiDAR. Achieved significant breakthrough in SPAD chip application. The solution uses high-integration chips with large silicon wafer bonding technology enabling LiDAR miniaturization, high-density pixels, and real-time obstacle detection. Mass production targeted for 2025.
• 清华大学 (Tsinghua University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Adaps received the National Key R&D Program's disruptive technology innovation special project with Tsinghua University. Collaborative research using ultra-high-speed optoelectronic chip technology. Also collaborated on AI supercomputing transmission bottleneck solutions.
• 光鉴科技 (Guangjie Technology)coreTechnology or Integration · 30 November 2023Adaps' ADS6401 chip powered Guangjie's Nebula 300 dToF depth fusion camera. Adaps defined key module specifications and optimized performance for long-range 3D perception (14m indoor) and RGBD fusion for robot navigation and obstacle avoidance.
• 广电计量 (GRGT)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 12 April 2023Guangzhou Radio and TV Metrology (GRGT) conducted AEC-Q102 automotive reliability testing for SiPM devices. Testing included 1000+ hours under extreme temperature and humidity conditions. GRGT issued the official AEC-Q102 verification report.
• 欧菲微电子 / OfilmcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Ofilm (欧菲微电子) cooperated with Adaps to launch dToF module solutions based on ADS6303 and ADS6401 chips. Ofilm manufactures and distributes dToF modules to end customers in consumer and automotive markets.
• Qualcomm / 虹软 ArcsoftflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2022Adaps' Spot dToF chip integrated with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, co-developed with Arcsoft, to power 'Director Mode' on Android smartphones. Achieved fast autofocus, cinematic video effects, glass detection, and focus tracking — first dToF Director Mode on Android.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions: Sony's Industry & IoT division produces the IMX459 SPAD dToF sensor, the global benchmark in automotive-grade SPAD depth sensing. Sony competes head-to-head with Adaps' ADS6311 Hawk in automotive LiDAR and is the de-facto incumbent in SPAD array dToF chips for tier-1 LiDAR platforms.
• STMicroelectronics: ST's FlightSense product line (VL53L0X, VL53L1, VL53L5, VL53L7) is the world's highest-volume ToF sensor family, used in smartphones, drones, robotics and consumer devices. ST competes directly with Adaps' ADS6102 (Hummer) and ADS6401 (Swift) in single-point and low-resolution area dToF applications.
• Infineon Technologies: Through its REAL3 ToF sensor family (originally developed with pmdtechnologies), Infineon serves automotive in-cabin monitoring, smartphone, and industrial ToF applications. Infineon is the closest direct competitor to Adaps in BSI 3D-stacked dToF for automotive and consumer use cases.
• Hamamatsu Photonics: Hamamatsu is the global leader in silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology, with products used across medical imaging, LiDAR, and high-energy physics. The P5 Series SiPM competes directly with Hamamatsu's MPPC (Multi-Pixel Photon Counter) family in automotive and industrial LiDAR receiver applications.
• ON Semiconductor (onsemi): onsemi's silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) and dToF sensor products compete with Adaps in automotive LiDAR receivers and proximity sensing. onsemi has deeper relationships with Western automotive tier-1s and broader analog/power semiconductor portfolio supporting cross-sell.
• pmdtechnologies: pmdtechnologies is a specialist 3D ToF depth-sensing company whose IRS chip architecture underpins Infineon's REAL3 family. pmd competes with Adaps in BSI 3D-stacked dToF sensor design, particularly in industrial, automotive and AR/VR applications.

Regional players

• RoboSense: RoboSense is a leading Chinese LiDAR systems maker (HKEX: 02498) that integrates competing dToF SPAD sensors into automotive and robotics LiDAR products. Adaps has filed patent infringement and trade secret lawsuits against RoboSense, making it both a potential customer-of-alternative-chips and a direct litigation counterparty.

Broad incumbents

• Broadcom: Broadcom supplies a range of optoelectronic components, including FBAR filters and optical sensing solutions, and competes broadly in the same semiconductor customer base as Adaps. While not a direct dToF competitor, it represents incumbent scale and customer access for sensing customers in mobile and infrastructure markets.
• Analog Devices: Analog Devices supplies high-performance analog, mixed-signal, and sensor signal-processing ICs, and is a broad incumbent in industrial measurement and sensing. While ADI does not directly compete in SPAD dToF chips, its depth-sensing and LiDAR signal-chain products overlap with Adaps' system-level customer relationships in industrial and automotive markets.

Emerging players

• ams OSRAM: ams OSRAM produces VCSEL emitters, photodetectors, and integrated optical sensing modules used in 3D sensing and automotive LiDAR. The company supplies complementary illumination components (VCSELs) that Adaps' dToF chips pair with, and competes in adjacent 3D-sensing sub-systems for automotive and consumer applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adaps Photonics