What PhotonFirst does

PhotonFirst International is a Netherlands-based (Alkmaar) integrated photonics company that designs, manufactures, and sells fiber optic sensing systems built on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor technology combined with proprietary Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC/ASPIC) chip-based interrogators. The technology measures strain, temperature, pressure, vibration, acceleration, and shape across a single passive optical fiber, with claimed specifications including sub-microstrain resolution, sensor footprints below 0.1 mm², measurement ranges from -270°C to +800°C and up to 700 bar, EMI immunity, and intrinsic ATEX safety. The company qualifies its aerospace interrogators to DO-160G, MIL-STD-810/461/704 and has executed more than 30 aerospace and defense projects plus 350+ pipeline sensor installations.

The company sells three product families: standard, industrial, and aerospace-qualified FBG interrogators (GTR, SGTR, AGTR series including AGTR-NEO and AGTR-NG4); a portfolio of passive fiber based sensors and embedded sensing chains; and supporting software (Gator Operator Software, Public GTR API in C++ with Python wrapper, and Gantner GI.bench/GI.cloud integration). A separate PhotonFirst PIC Packaging Services line operates an ISO Class 8 cleanroom offering end-to-end photonic integrated circuit packaging for telecom, aerospace, quantum, and harsh-environment customers, and serves as a complementary revenue stream and ecosystem anchor.

Revenue is generated through direct enterprise field sales targeting engineering and R&D decision-makers at industrial OEMs, aerospace primes, governments, and infrastructure operators, with custom enterprise pricing, contact-based quoting, and no public list pricing. Customers include Boeing, Airbus, Royal Netherlands Army, Beyond Gravity, ArianeGroup, ProRail, Siemens, GE Grid Solutions, Baker Hughes, Allseas, Feadship/De Voogt, ORPC, and Curtiss-Wright, among others. The company is privately held, was founded in 2006, raised €11M in Series A funding in December 2021 led by Active Capital Company with PhotonDelta, and has signaled intent to pursue an IPO in 2025.

Name

PhotonFirst

Legal name

PhotonFirst International

Website

https://photonfirst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PhotonFirst International is a Netherlands-based integrated photonics company that designs and sells fiber optic sensing systems using Fiber Bragg Grating sensors and proprietary chip-based interrogators, serving aerospace, defense, energy, rail, maritime, and industrial OEMs through direct enterprise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiber Optic Sensing Systems

NAICS

Electronic Connector Manufacturing (334417)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optoelectronic / Photonics Foundries (Silicon Photonics/LED/Laser) (HDAHACAG), Fiber-Optic Interconnects (Connectors/Cables/Transceivers Interfaces) (HDAHAOAE), Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL) (HDAHALAL)

Keywords

• Fiber optic sensing
• Photonic integrated circuits
• Structural health monitoring
• FBG interrogators
• PIC packaging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Alkmaar

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fiber Optic Sensing Systems: PhotonFirst sells complete fiber optic sensing solutions including FBG sensors, interrogators, and software. Products include off-the-shelf interrogators (GTR, SGTR, AGTR series) and custom-engineered systems. The company provides full system development from prototyping through contract manufacturing.
2. PIC Packaging Services: PhotonFirst offers end-to-end photonic integrated circuit packaging services including design assistance, die bonding, wire bonding, fiber alignment, laser welding, testing, and qualification. Services support prototyping through mid-volume production for aerospace, telecommunications, quantum computing, and other harsh-environment applications.
3. Custom Engineering & Development: PhotonFirst collaborates with customers on co-development of application-specific sensing solutions. This includes custom interrogator designs (e.g., XGTR for Apache helicopter), integration into customer platforms, and specialized sensor embedding techniques for specific assets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PhotonFirst develops and manufactures integrated photonics sensing solutions based on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology and proprietary Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs). The company sells FBG fiber optic sensors, chip-based FBG interrogators, and supporting software that measure strain, temperature, pressure, vibration, acceleration, and shape in harsh industrial environments. PhotonFirst also provides PIC packaging services for photonic integrated circuit developers across aerospace, telecommunications, and quantum computing applications.

Product overview

PhotonFirst offers a unified portfolio of integrated photonics sensing solutions centered on Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology. The core offering consists of Fiber Based Sensors (passive fiber optic sensors), FBG Interrogators (chip-based signal processing units), and Software (including Gator Operator Software and APIs). Supporting the sensing business, the company provides PIC Packaging Services for photonic integrated circuit packaging. Aerospace-specific products include the AGTR-NEO and AGTR-NG4 interrogators (qualified for DO-160G and MIL-STD standards), alongside industry-specific monitoring solutions for wind energy, railway, pipeline, maritime, aerospace/defense, and medical applications. The company operates from prototype development through contract manufacturing, serving customers including Airbus, Boeing, GE Vernova, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fiber Based Sensors (FBG Sensors) Passive fiber optic sensors using Fiber Bragg Grating technology that measure physical parameters including temperature (-270°C to 800°C), pressure (up to 700 bar), strain (sub-microstrain resolution, <0.1 mm² footprint), vibration, and acceleration. Intrinsically safe for ATEX explosive environments. Used by OEMs in aerospace, defense, wind energy, maritime, railway, and industrial applications.
• FBG Interrogators Chip-based interrogators that send light into optical fibers and analyze reflected FBG signals to translate wavelength changes into precise measurements. Enable up to 100 sensors on a single fiber. Include standard (GTR, SGTR), industrial, and aerospace-qualified variants. Sold to enterprise OEMs and system integrators.
• AGTR-NEO Aerospace Interrogator DO-160G qualified FBG interrogator for aerospace applications with 8 optical channels, sequential sampling, 19.2 kHz single-channel sampling rate (50 Hz for 8 channels). Compact and lightweight with onboard data processing and Ethernet communication. Targeted at aerospace OEMs and defense organizations.
• AGTR-NG4 Aerospace Interrogator High-speed FBG interrogator for harsh aerospace environments with 4 optical channels, 22 kHz sampling rate, onboard data processing and storage. MIL-STD-704/810/461 validated, operating range -45°C to +70°C, ARINC 801 Optical Interface, Ethernet/UDP/TCP/IP communication. Targeted at aerospace OEMs, test centers, and defense platforms.
• Software (Gator Operator Software & GTR API) Software portfolio including Gator Operator Software (GOS) for interrogator control, Public GTR API (C++/Python) for data integration, and Gantner plugin for GI.bench/GI.cloud platforms. Provides signal processing, data acquisition, and API access for custom applications targeting engineering and integration teams.
• PIC Packaging Services End-to-end photonic integrated circuit (PIC) packaging from design/prototyping through small-series production and system integration. ISO Class 8 cleanroom manufacturing with ESD controls. Services include die bonding, wire bonding, fiber alignment, fiber welding, fiber array assembly (up to 128 channels), and qualification testing to DO-160G and MIL-STD profiles. Sold to universities, research institutes, telecom companies, and aerospace OEMs.
• GP01/02/03 PIC Packages Flexible PIC packages designed for fast, affordable prototyping. Support DC and RF signals, 1-2 fibers or fiber arrays, up to 1 GHz frequency, SMF/PM fiber types, edge/array coupling, TEC/NTC thermal control. Dimensions: 83 x 66 x 11.5 mm.
• GB01 PIC Package High-speed PIC package with 4x RF capability, up to 50 GHz maximum frequency. 1 fiber plus 4 RF connectors, soldering sealing, dimensions 52.5 x 55 x 8.5 mm.
• SIP01 PIC Package Opto-electric multi-chip integration package miniaturizing functional complexity. Supports up to 16 fibers, up to 20 kHz frequency, soldering/epoxy sealing, dimensions 55 x 60 x 7.5 mm.
• BP01 PIC Package Standard form factor package for extreme harsh environments with complete system OEM integration. Single fiber, up to MHz frequency, up to 100 kHz operation, hermetic sealing, SMF fiber, dimensions 39 x 35 x 7.8 mm.
• XE01 Ruggedized Harsh-Environment Module Ruggedized PIC package for extreme harsh environments including shock, vibration, EMI, and temperature extremes. Uses design principles from aerospace-qualified interrogators. Dimensions: 1151 x 42.8 x 10.6 mm.
• CU01..x Custom PIC Packages Custom co-developed PIC packages tailored to unique optical, thermal, or mechanical requirements. Specifications vary per design. High volume, fit-for-application multi-purpose OEM integration.
• Aerospace Structural Health & Load Monitoring Solutions Comprehensive FBG sensing solutions for aerospace and defense including structural health monitoring (SHM), usage monitoring, load sensing, rotor blade monitoring, overheat detection, and landing gear load sensing. Applications span aircraft, spacecraft, UAVs, helicopters (Apache SHULMS), satellites, and space launchers. Sold to aerospace OEMs and defense organizations including Boeing, Airbus, RNLAF, and ArianeGroup.
• Wind Turbine Monitoring Solutions Fiber optic sensing solutions for wind turbine blade monitoring, tower monitoring, gearbox monitoring, generator monitoring, ice detection, and fire detection. EMI-immune sensors enable accurate data collection even near electromagnetic fields. Supports maximizing ROI for onshore and offshore wind installations. Sold to wind turbine OEMs and operators.
• Railway Track & Switch Monitoring Solutions Real-time condition-based monitoring for rail infrastructure and rolling stock using FBG sensors. EMI-immune sensors enable precise measurements in EMC environments. High frequency measurements up to 20 kHz, cost-competitive compared to traditional electrical solutions. Sold to railway infrastructure owners and rolling stock operators including ProRail.
• Pipeline Monitoring Solutions Non-intrusive fiber optic sensing for pipeline condition monitoring with multiple sensing points on a single small fiber, reducing cabling. Intrinsically safe for ATEX environments. Achieved installation of 350+ sensors across multiple operational sites. Sold to pipeline operators and industrial manufacturers.
• Maritime & Offshore Hull Monitoring Solutions Comprehensive maritime fiber optic sensing solutions for hull structural health monitoring, local/global stress monitoring, load monitoring, slosh/slam impact monitoring, fatigue damage monitoring, and temperature monitoring. Applications include commercial/naval ships, sails/hydrofoils, offshore structures, FPSOs, and unmanned surface vessels (USV). Sold to maritime OEMs and operators including De Voogt/Feadship and Allseas.
• Medical Haptic Feedback Solutions Chip-based FBG sensing technology for surgical grippers enabling real-time haptic force feedback. Small fiber sensor dimensions and highly sensitive measurements reduce force required for tissue manipulation by 3-4 times, improving surgical precision and enabling further automation of surgical tools. Sold to medical device OEMs and surgical tool manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced force required for tissue manipulation by 3 to 4 times in surgical gripper applications
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and strategic.

• Curtiss-WrightcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Strategic partnership to integrate PhotonFirst's FBG interrogators and sensing chains into Curtiss-Wright's flight test instrumentation (FTI) architectures and platforms. Collaboration will adapt PhotonFirst products for aerospace OEM, test center, and defense customer environments, enabling native integration with Curtiss-Wright data acquisition, recording, telemetry, and analysis ecosystems.
• Solinide PhotonicsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024PhotonFirst collaborated with Solinide Photonics (a spin-off from Chalmers University) to package Solinide's high-efficiency frequency comb PIC technology. PhotonFirst provided PIC packaging expertise including fiber coupling, laser alignment, and thermal management using micron-level accuracy. The collaboration produced a working prototype demonstrating manufacturable frequency comb modules.
• Lens R&DflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Lens R&D for radiation-hardened sun sensing PIC packaging. Lens R&D provides the space-qualified PIC package design for the MAUS CubeSat sun sensor, while PhotonFirst handles manufacturing using standardized PIC packaging capabilities including die placement, wire bonding, and testing. Partnership spans design authority at Lens R&D and manufacturing expertise at PhotonFirst.
• Aster (Eindhoven University of Technology)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Aster, a student team at TU/e, to provide FBG sensor technology for the Icarus high-altitude balloon satellite mission. PhotonFirst supplied interrogator and FBG sensors for measuring temperature, pressure, radiation, and mechanical stress. The mission successfully reached 34.8 km altitude, demonstrating PhotonFirst's FBG technology in near-space conditions.
• Municipality of AmsterdamstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to install a fiber-optic Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) system in Amsterdam streets using FBG sensors embedded in asphalt. The system measures vehicle weights, speed, and direction to enable data-driven management of bridges and quay walls. PhotonFirst provided sensors, interrogators, and signal processing in collaboration with Technobis.
• De Voogt / FeadshipstrategicTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration for hull monitoring on large yachts. PhotonFirst installed sensors and interrogators on 4 ships, monitoring hogging, sagging, strain, and vibrations with FEA & FDA modelling. Structural behaviour analyses validated engineering models against actual wave and thermal loads over more than 2 years.
• ORPC (Ocean Renewable Power Company)strategicTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration to improve tidal turbine blade design through fiber optic monitoring. PhotonFirst delivered full fiber optic sensing systems with 2x48 FBGs installed and tested on ORPC's RivGen tidal turbine. Fibers integrated into blades without affecting structural integrity or aquadynamics, with communication via optical rotary joint.
• TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research)strategicTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with TNO for medical applications including haptic feedback for surgical grippers. TNO developed the OptiGrip surgical instrument concept, with PhotonFirst's FBG sensors providing real-time haptic force feedback to enable reduced tissue damage and surgical automation.
• Gantner InstrumentsstrategicTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership for data acquisition solutions. PhotonFirst's fiber-optic sensing solutions integrate with Gantner Instruments ecosystem including GI.bench and GI.cloud software platforms. Integration supports standardized onsite data processing, alarm settings, dashboarding, and cloud interfaces via EtherCAT, Modbus, OPC UA, and MQTT protocols.
• ATTILA (European Tiltrotor Project)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhotonFirst serves as technology and solution provider for fiber optic sensing equipment in the ATTILA (Advanced Testbed for Tiltrotor Aeroelastics) project. The testbed for aeroelastic wind tunnel testing of tiltrotor aircraft uses advanced fiber optic sensors and contactless rotating power and data transfer techniques. PhotonFirst contributes sensor design, implementation, embedding techniques, and test evaluations.
• Siemens Siemens/cre8venturesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation partnership between Siemens Siemens/cre8ventures and PhotonFirst for advancing smart sensing solutions. Collaboration announced in December 2024 to bring PhotonFirst's sensing technology into Siemens ecosystem for industrial applications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NKT Photonics: NKT Photonics is a Danish photonic components and fiber laser manufacturer with adjacent offerings in specialty fibers and photonic crystal fiber sensing. While broader in scope than PhotonFirst, it is comparable as a European photonic-sensing adjacent incumbent.
• HBK (Hottinger Brüel & Kjær): HBK is a global measurement and sensing incumbent offering strain gauges, load cells, and data acquisition systems. It competes with PhotonFirst in structural test and monitoring applications but from a broader, electronics-centric portfolio rather than fiber optic specialization.

Regional players

• Civitanavi Systems: Civitanavi Systems (Italy) supplies fiber optic gyroscopes and FBG-based sensing systems for aerospace and industrial applications. It is a regional European peer competing with PhotonFirst in aerospace structural health monitoring but with primary focus on the Italian and Southern European market.

Direct peers

• FBGS Technologies: FBGS (originally a Belgian-German spin-off, now part of the Luna Innovations group) manufactures draw-tower FBG sensors used in structural health monitoring, medical devices, and harsh-environment applications. It is a direct peer in FBG sensor technology serving comparable end markets.
• Technobis Group: Technobis is a Dutch high-tech firm that develops FBG interrogators and fiber optic measurement systems. It has worked with PhotonFirst as a technology partner on the Amsterdam WIM project and is a direct Dutch FBG peer competing for the same fiber optic sensing customers.
• OptaSense (QinetiQ): OptaSense is a QinetiQ-owned provider of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) and fiber optic monitoring for pipeline security, rail, and border monitoring. It competes with PhotonFirst in pipeline and rail monitoring applications but uses distributed sensing rather than FBG point sensors.
• Luna Innovations: Luna Innovations is a publicly listed US company developing fiber optic sensing systems including FBG interrogators (OBR, HYPERION) used for aerospace, energy, and civil structural health monitoring. It is the closest direct competitor to PhotonFirst in chip-based FBG interrogators and embedded aerospace SHM.
• Smart Fibres: Smart Fibres (UK) supplies FBG interrogators and sensors for oil & gas, aerospace, and civil engineering applications. It is a focused direct peer with similar aerospace and harsh-environment positioning to PhotonFirst's sensing business.
• Bandweaver Technology: Bandweaver supplies distributed temperature and acoustic fiber optic sensing systems for fire detection, pipeline leak detection, and power cable monitoring. It is a direct peer in fiber optic sensing for industrial infrastructure, overlapping with PhotonFirst's pipeline and rail applications.

Emerging players

• IDIL Fibres Optiques: IDIL Fibres Optiques is a French specialist in fiber optic components and sensing systems, serving aerospace, defense, and nuclear applications. It is a smaller direct peer with overlapping FBG and photonic sensing technology positioning relative to PhotonFirst.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Photon_First
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCaIVnG9LtfuG7bCYzht0W5A
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/photonfirst
• Instagraminstagram.com/photonfirst

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 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 PhotonFirst