Knight Optical
Knight Optical is a UK-based precision optical components manufacturer, part of the Torrent Photonics group, supplying stock and custom lenses, filters, mirrors, prisms, coatings and metrology services across UV to far-infrared wavelengths to research, defence, medical, aerospace and industrial customers globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersHarrietsham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Knight Optical does
Knight Optical (UK) Limited is a privately held precision optical components manufacturer incorporated in England and Wales in 1999 and operating as part of the Torrent Photonics group. The company produces both catalogue stock optics — lenses, windows, filters, mirrors, prisms, beamsplitters, polarisation optics, gratings, and optomechanics covering UV through far-infrared wavelengths — and bespoke custom components manufactured to customer specifications for substrates, tolerances and coatings. In-house capabilities include four coating chambers (thermal evaporation, e-beam, magnetron sputtering and ion beam sputtering), an ISO 9001/14001-certified metrology laboratory equipped with Zygo and Trioptics instruments, and 100% QA inspection trained to ISO 10110 and MIL standards, yielding a reported <0.3% reject rate. Customers are served via two GTM motions: self-serve e-commerce for stock items (with same-day shipping on orders placed before 14:30 GMT and a £550 minimum order value) and dedicated technical sales account managers for custom enquiries (quoted within 48 hours). The company holds UKAS ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications valid through 2028, JOSCAR registration for defence supply chains, and operates from Harrietsham, Kent (UK headquarters) and North Kingstown, Rhode Island (US subsidiary), with global shipping direct from the UK facility.
Knight Optical firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Knight Optical
- Legal name
- Knight Optical (UK) Limited
- Website
- https://knightoptical.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Knight Optical is a UK-based precision optical components manufacturer, part of the Torrent Photonics group, supplying stock and custom lenses, filters, mirrors, prisms, coatings and metrology services across UV to far-infrared wavelengths to research, defence, medical, aerospace and industrial customers globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Knight Optical industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Precision Optical Components
- NAICS
- Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (334419)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Injection Molded Optical & Transparent Parts (Lenses, Light Guides) (IMANAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lenses & Optical Accessories (Lenses, Filters, Adapters, Teleconverters) (CRACAPAF), Machine Vision & Inspection Lighting (Ring lights, bar lights, backlights, strobed illumination) (IMAGAIAG)
Keywords
Where Knight Optical is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Harrietsham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Knight Optical business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Custom Optical Components: Bespoke optical components manufactured to customer specifications including lenses, windows, filters, mirrors, prisms, beamsplitters, gratings, and polarisation optics. Revenue generated from one-time custom orders and repeat business from established customer relationships.
- Stock Optical Components: Standard precision optical components available from inventory for immediate purchase and delivery through e-commerce platform. Components include optical lenses, filters, mirrors, prisms, beamsplitters, and optomechanics.
- Optical Services: Services including metrology testing, quality assurance inspection, optical finishing and processing, optical sub-assemblies, custom packaging, and lamination services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Stock Optics |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Optical Solutions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Knight Optical product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Knight Optical manufactures and supplies precision optical components for UV, visible, near-infrared, and far-infrared applications. The company operates two complementary lines: a stock catalogue of standard optical components available for immediate online purchase with same-day shipping, and a custom manufacturing service producing bespoke optical components to customer-specified dimensions, substrates, tolerances, and coatings. Supporting services include metrology testing, quality assurance inspection, optical finishing, sub-assembly construction, and custom packaging.
Product overview
Knight Optical is a UK-based precision optical components company offering both stock and custom optical solutions. Their product portfolio comprises standard stock optical components (multispectral cameras, optical assemblies, transmission spheres, beamsplitters, optical filters, graticules/gratings/resolution charts, laser optics, optical lenses, optical mirrors, optomechanics, polarisation optics, prisms, UV components, windows, and diffusers) and custom/bespoke optical components (infrared optics, gas cells, windows, filters, lenses, polarisation optics, mirrors, gratings/graticules/resolution charts, prisms, beamsplitters, diffusers, optical tools, and optomechanics). The company also provides services including metrology testing, quality assurance inspection, optical finishing/processing, sub-assembly construction, and custom packaging. Knight Optical is a subsidiary of Torrent Photonics, whose microlithography expertise (patented) is referenced in semiconductor lithography applications. The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications and operates from facilities in Harrietsham, Kent, UK and North Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Torrent Photonics: Sub-brand related to micro-patterned filters and semiconductor-style mask aligners; wafer-scale micropatterned filter production with dedicated wafer fabrication cleanrooms
Products and services
- Stock Optical Components
Quantifiable outcome
- <0.3% reject rate from optics tested in metrology lab
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Knight Optical
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Knight Optical technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Knight Optical partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Torrent PhotonicscoreParent company providing semiconductor-style mask aligners and wafer fabrication capabilities. Torrent Photonics handles wafers up to 8 inches with dedicated cleanrooms for micropatterned filters at wafer scale. Knight Optical leverages this expertise for advanced optical component manufacturing.
- SPIEminorInternational Society for Optics and Photonics - member organisation dedicated to advancing scientific optical research and engineering applications through meetings, publications and education programs.
- EPICminorEuropean Photonics Industry Consortium - industry association promoting sustainable development of photonics organisations in Europe including LED lighting, photovoltaics, PICs, lasers, sensors, imaging, displays, and optical components.
- Institute of Physics (IOP)minorProfessional body advancing physics for the benefit of all, with PhysicsWorld providing online products and services for physicists.
- ADS GroupminorPremier Trade Organisation for UK Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space sectors with membership of over 1000 UK registered businesses.
- A3 - Association for Advancing AutomationminorNorth America's largest automation trade association representing over 1,300 organisations involved in robotics, AI, machine vision, imaging, motion control and motors.
- MAKE UK DefenceminorThe Manufacturers' Organisation defending the UK's defence supply chain sector, representing interests to government and wider industry.
- AILU - Association of Laser UsersminorIndependent non-profit organisation run by and for the laser community since 1995.
- RP PhotonicsminorPhotonics expert Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta's company striving for excellence in product quality and customer service.
- MeetopticsminorPlatform helping engineers and researchers find optics they need, making photonics more accessible.
- Unmanned Systems Technology (UST)minorSmart sourcing platform for unmanned systems, subsystems, software and components.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Knight Optical competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Thorlabs: Thorlabs is a vertically integrated photonics company manufacturing optics, optomechanics, lasers, and fibre optics for research, OEM, and industrial markets. Like Knight Optical, Thorlabs offers both catalogue and custom optical components and competes in the same wavelength ranges and end applications including machine vision, life sciences, and quantum research.
- Edmund Optics: Edmund Optics is the largest global catalogue and custom precision optics manufacturer, offering stock and custom lenses, filters, mirrors, and assemblies across UV, visible, and IR wavelengths. It is the closest direct competitor to Knight Optical across both the stock e-commerce channel and the custom components business, serving overlapping industrial, medical, and research customers.
- Hellma GmbH: Hellma is a German manufacturer of precision optical components and cells, particularly strong in spectroscopic cells, optical filters, and UV-VIS-NIR components. It is a direct peer to Knight Optical in the precision optics, metrology, and customised substrate categories, especially for analytical and life-science applications.
- Lambda Research Optics: Lambda Research Optics is a US-based supplier of custom and stock laser optics, crystals, and thin-film coatings for industrial, medical, and scientific laser applications. It is a direct peer in the custom laser optics and IR substrate categories where Knight Optical is also active.
- OptoSigma Corporation: OptoSigma is a Japanese-owned manufacturer of stock and custom optical components, optomechanics, and thin-film coatings. It is a direct peer to Knight Optical with comparable coverage of UV, visible, and IR optics for industrial, scientific, and OEM customers, including custom coating capabilities.
- Reynard Corporation: Reynard Corporation is a US-based custom manufacturer of optical components and thin-film coatings serving defence, aerospace, medical, and industrial markets. It is directly comparable to Knight Optical in custom optics for defence and aerospace, including coating and substrate capabilities across UV to IR.
Broad incumbents
- Newport (MKS Instruments): Newport, part of MKS Instruments, manufactures optical components, motion control, and light sources for research and OEM photonics applications. It is a broader incumbent than Knight in the photonics stack but competes head-to-head in custom optical components, mirrors, and filters for industrial and scientific customers.
- CVI Laser Optics (IDEX): CVI Laser Optics, part of IDEX Health & Science, manufactures laser-grade optics, polarisation components, and thin-film coatings for laser, semiconductor, and biomedical applications. It overlaps with Knight's laser optics and precision coating capabilities, particularly for high-power laser systems and OEM photonics.
- ISP Optics (Halma): ISP Optics, part of Halma plc, manufactures custom precision optics including IR lenses, windows, and laser components for defence, aerospace, and medical applications. It is a direct competitor in custom IR optics and operates within a larger diversified photonics group, providing a useful acquisition-multiple reference for Knight.
Emerging players
- Shanghai Optics (SOPT): Shanghai Optics is a precision optics manufacturer offering custom lenses, mirrors, prisms, and coatings for industrial, medical, and scientific applications. It is an emerging global peer, particularly in cost-sensitive custom orders, and represents both a competitive threat and a comparable reference for the custom components business model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
Knight Optical social profiles
Digital presenceKnight Optical compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Knight Optical financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Knight Optical leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Knight Optical subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Knight Optical funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Knight Optical M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Knight Optical
What does Knight Optical do?
Knight Optical manufactures and supplies precision optical components for UV, visible, near-infrared, and far-infrared applications. The company operates two complementary lines: a stock catalogue of standard optical components available for immediate online purchase with same-day shipping, and a custom manufacturing service producing bespoke optical components to customer-specified dimensions, substrates, tolerances, and coatings. Supporting services include metrology testing, quality assurance inspection, optical finishing, sub-assembly construction, and custom packaging.
Is Knight Optical a public or private company?
Knight Optical is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Knight Optical founded?
Knight Optical was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Knight Optical based?
Knight Optical is headquartered in Harrietsham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Knight Optical make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Optical Components are the primary driver. The others are stock Optical Components and optical Services.
Who are Knight Optical's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Thorlabs, Edmund Optics, Hellma GmbH, Lambda Research Optics, OptoSigma Corporation and Reynard Corporation. Broad incumbents are Newport (MKS Instruments), CVI Laser Optics (IDEX) and ISP Optics (Halma). Shanghai Optics (SOPT) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Knight Optical have an API?
No public API is recorded for Knight Optical.
What industry is Knight Optical in?
Knight Optical's product category is Precision Optical Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAFAL, Injection Molded Optical & Transparent Parts (Lenses, Light Guides), with a secondary code of CRACAPAF, Lenses & Optical Accessories (Lenses, Filters, Adapters, Teleconverters). Its NAICS code is 334516 and its SIC code is 3827.