AOS
Apollo Optical Systems (AOS) is a Rochester, NY-based precision polymer optics manufacturer serving OEM customers in automotive, medical, defense, AR/VR, robotics, and industrial markets with vertically integrated design, SPDT prototyping, injection molding, coatings, assembly, and metrology services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersWest Henrietta, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What AOS does
Apollo Optical Systems (AOS) is a precision polymer optics manufacturer headquartered in West Henrietta, New York (Rochester area), producing custom optical components and subassemblies for OEM customers across automotive, medical devices, defense/tactical, consumer electronics (AR/VR), robotics, industrial metrology, and LED lighting. The company's core technology stack spans single-point diamond turning (SPDT) on three lathes (one Innolite IL300 and two Precitech Nanoform 200), precision polymer injection molding of spherical, aspheric, Fresnel, and diffractive surfaces in PMMA, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and COP/COC, in-house evaporative optical coatings, diffractive optics fabrication, optical and mechanical design services, and comprehensive metrology, including interferometers, white-light interferometers, and contact profilometry. AOS pursues a vertically integrated DFM-led model: optical and mechanical engineers work alongside customers from concept through high-volume production, and the February 2026 integration of Turning Point Tool brings plastic injection mold-making and CNC machining fully in-house from mold design through final optical production.
AOS monetizes predominantly through B2B hardware sales of custom-manufactured optical components priced via direct quotation based on design complexity, material selection, tooling, coating, and volume (prototype through millions of units), supplemented by professional design services and a free design-tooling entry point — the first comprehensive polymer catalog for Ansys Zemax OpticStudio — that drives design-in adoption upstream of the manufacturing sale. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales to OEM engineering teams with participation in industry events such as SPIE BIOS, Photonics West, and AutoSens InCabin. Quality systems are ISO 9001 certified and IATF 16949:2016 qualified for automotive programs, supporting long-lifecycle automotive platforms (DMS/OMS, LiDAR, HUD, sensor windows) with operating specifications across -40°C to +85°C. The company is privately held and has been backed by Pike Street Capital since May 2023.
AOS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AOS
- Legal name
- Apollo Optical Systems Inc.
- Website
- https://apollooptical.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Apollo Optical Systems (AOS) is a Rochester, NY-based precision polymer optics manufacturer serving OEM customers in automotive, medical, defense, AR/VR, robotics, and industrial markets with vertically integrated design, SPDT prototyping, injection molding, coatings, assembly, and metrology services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AOS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Polymer Optics Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Injection Molded Optical & Transparent Parts (Lenses, Light Guides) (IMANAFAL)
Keywords
Where AOS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Henrietta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
AOS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Precision Optical Component Manufacturing: Design, prototyping, and mass production of precision polymer optical components for various industries including automotive, medical, defense, and consumer electronics. Revenue generated through manufacture and sale of custom optical components with pricing based on complexity, volume, and material requirements.
- Custom Optical Design Services: In-house optical and mechanical design services collaborating with customers throughout the product development cycle. Includes design consultation, specifications development, optical concept development, tolerance studies, prototyping, and production support.
- Design Tools and Software Integration: Free polymer catalog for Ansys Zemax OpticStudio distributed at no charge to drive design adoption and customer acquisition for manufacturing services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Custom quotation-based pricing for optical components and systems |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
AOS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Apollo Optical Systems designs, prototypes, and manufactures precision polymer optical components and subassemblies for OEM customers across automotive, medical, defense, consumer electronics, robotics, and industrial metrology markets. Core capabilities include precision polymer injection molding and single-point diamond turning (SPDT), supported by in-house optical and mechanical design, evaporative coatings, assembly with UV bonding, diffractive optics, microlens arrays, metrology, and polymer raw material supply.
Product overview
Apollo Optical Systems is a precision polymer optics manufacturer offering a vertically integrated manufacturing platform. The core offering centers on precision polymer injection molding combined with single point diamond turning for prototyping and optical/mechanical design services. These foundational capabilities are extended through add-on modules including evaporative coatings, optical assembly with UV bonding, diffractive optics, microlens arrays, metrology and testing, and polymer raw materials selection. The company also provides a dedicated polymer materials catalog for Ansys Zemax OpticStudio. The portfolio serves diverse markets including automotive (driver monitoring systems, sensors), medical devices, tactical/defense, robotics, consumer (AR/VR), and LED lighting.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Precision Polymer Injection Molding Precision injection molding of polymer optical components that produces consistent, high-quality parts meeting or exceeding industry standards. Supports low and high-volume production with capabilities for spherical, aspheric, Fresnel, and diffractive surfaces, using materials including PMMA, polystyrene, polycarbonate, and cyclic olefin polymers/copolymers (COP/COC).
- Single Point Diamond Turning (SPDT) Precision diamond turning services for producing optical components from polymers and metals. Used for prototyping and low-to-moderate volume production with three SPDT lathes (one Innolite IL300 and two Precitech Nanoform 200), custom diamond tools with radii as small as 1.5 micron, and surface finishes of 60-80 Å RMS in polymers.
- Optical and Mechanical Design In-house optical and mechanical design services including design for manufacture, design verification, tolerance analysis, and design for imaging and illumination systems. Uses proprietary software combined with DIFFSYS for SPDT tool path creation.
- Coating as a Service (Evaporative Coatings) Anti-reflection (AR) and reflective thin film optical coatings applied to plastic and glass substrates. Coating materials include gold, silver, aluminum, and magnesium fluoride. All coating fixtures designed and built in-house.
- Optical Assembly Optical system assembly services including unique bonding processes for fabrication of polymer doublets and triplets, UV bonding, and low and high-volume assembly experience.
- Diffractive Optics Diffractive optical elements created using single-point diamond turning, achieving 97-99% efficiency at design wavelength with 1.5 nanometer RMS surface finish. Includes Fresnel lenses, kinoforms, binary optics, and hybrid refractive-diffractive lenses, fabricated from polymers and metals.
- Microlens Arrays Injection-molded microlens arrays produced from masters fabricated using RPC Photonics laser writing process. Used to manipulate light in a wide variety of optical systems.
- Metrology and Testing Comprehensive optical metrology and testing services including interferometers for surface figure measurement, contact profilometers, white light interferometers for surface roughness, and complete characterization of optical components and molding inserts.
- Polymer Raw Materials Supply Material selection expertise and supply of common polymers for optical components including polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), cyclic olefin polymers/copolymers (COP/COC), and specialty optical polymers.
- Apollo Polymer Catalog for Ansys Zemax OpticStudio Comprehensive optical polymers catalog for Ansys Zemax OpticStudio optical design software. Provides precise refractive index data, dispersion characteristics, and optical properties of polymers for accurate modeling and simulation in early to late-stage design development.
Quantifiable outcome
- Components achieve 97% to 99% diffraction efficiency at design wavelength with 1.5 nanometer RMS surface finish
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use AOS
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AOS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature7 records
AOS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered regional, core and minor.
- MilitramregionalApollo partnered with Militram to expand presence in Israel. This partnership brings Apollo closer to customers in Israel, providing local channel support for Apollo's precision polymer optics in the Israeli market.
- Turning Point ToolcoreApollo Optical Systems completed the acquisition/integration of Turning Point Tool, a Rochester-based provider of plastic injection mold-making and CNC machining services. The integration brings critical tooling expertise in-house, enabling seamless coordination from mold design through final optical production while reducing complexity and improving speed and quality control. This creates a vertically integrated optics manufacturing platform.
- Ansys ZemaxcoreApollo Optical Systems released the first comprehensive polymer catalog for use in Ansys Zemax OpticStudio optical design software. The catalog provides detailed refractive index data, dispersion characteristics, and optical properties of polymers for accurate modeling and simulation. The catalog is included as standard in OpticStudio releases and available as free download for existing users.
- SilvaCo OpticsminorApollo Optical Systems announced a partnership with SilvaCo Optics. The partnership was announced in February 2024 to expand Apollo's optical coating and capabilities.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
AOS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LightPath Technologies: Public US company specializing in precision molded glass and polymer optics for defense, medical, telecommunications, and industrial laser systems. Direct peer in custom molded polymer optics at scale, with overlapping end markets in defense and communications.
- Navitar: US precision optics manufacturer specializing in custom lens assemblies, machine vision optics, and imaging systems. Directly comparable in custom optical design and OEM-focused component manufacturing; Apollo CEO Don Ehinger previously held leadership roles at Navitar.
- Sydor Optics: Rochester, NY-based manufacturer of precision flat optics, laser optics, and custom optical components for scientific, defense, and industrial customers. Direct peer given shared Rochester base, custom-manufacturing focus, and overlap in defense and laser-related optical components.
- Optimax Systems: Rochester, NY-based precision optics manufacturer specializing in custom optical components, prototyping, and small-to-medium volume production across defense, medical, and aerospace. Closely comparable in geography, customer base, and custom-manufacturing focus to Apollo Optical Systems.
- Rochester Precision Optics: Rochester, NY-based precision custom optics manufacturer serving medical imaging, defense, and industrial markets with design, prototyping, and production capabilities. Direct comparable given shared geography, customer verticals, and custom small-to-medium batch model.
- FISBA: Swiss-headquartered precision optics manufacturer producing micro-optics, molded glass optics, and optical assemblies for medical, life sciences, defense, and industrial markets. Direct peer in custom precision optical components for OEM customers.
Broad incumbents
- Jenoptik: Large German photonics and precision optics group offering optical systems and components across automotive, semiconductor, and medical markets. Apollo CEO Don Ehinger previously held leadership at Jenoptik Optical Systems; a broad incumbent with overlapping automotive and polymer-related capabilities.
- Thorlabs: Large US photonics company offering optics, lasers, and optical components across research, life sciences, and industrial markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent with deep optical design and manufacturing scale that overlaps with Apollo's industrial metrology and research-oriented customer base.
- Edmund Optics: Global optics manufacturer and distributor with extensive catalog and custom capabilities across industrial, life sciences, semiconductor, and research markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering both stock and custom optical components to overlapping OEM customers.
Others
- Ansys Zemax (Optical Solutions Group): Owner of OpticStudio, the dominant optical design software platform, with which Apollo integrated its polymer catalog. Included as an ecosystem-enabling partner/complementary technology provider rather than a direct competitor, but Pike Street Capital previously led the Zemax investment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AOS social profiles
Digital presenceAOS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
AOS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AOS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
AOS subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
AOS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AOS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AOS
What does AOS do?
Apollo Optical Systems designs, prototypes, and manufactures precision polymer optical components and subassemblies for OEM customers across automotive, medical, defense, consumer electronics, robotics, and industrial metrology markets. Core capabilities include precision polymer injection molding and single-point diamond turning (SPDT), supported by in-house optical and mechanical design, evaporative coatings, assembly with UV bonding, diffractive optics, microlens arrays, metrology, and polymer raw material supply.
Is AOS a public or private company?
AOS is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was AOS founded?
AOS was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AOS based?
AOS is headquartered in West Henrietta, United States, in the North America region.
How does AOS make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Precision Optical Component Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are custom Optical Design Services and design Tools and Software Integration.
Who are AOS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LightPath Technologies, Navitar, Sydor Optics, Optimax Systems, Rochester Precision Optics and FISBA. Broad incumbents are Jenoptik, Thorlabs and Edmund Optics. Ansys Zemax (Optical Solutions Group) is listed as an others.
Does AOS have an API?
No public API is recorded for AOS.
What industry is AOS in?
AOS's product category is Precision Polymer Optics Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAFAL, Injection Molded Optical & Transparent Parts (Lenses, Light Guides). Its NAICS code is 33451 and its SIC code is 3827.