Microwave Photonics
Microwave Photonics GmbH is a German spin-off that designs and sells custom integrated microwave photonic components spanning 3 GHz to 3 THz for RF/wireless, medical, quantum communication, and industrial-recycling customers, alongside engineering, consultancy, and training services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersDuisburg, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Microwave Photonics does
Microwave Photonics GmbH is a privately-held German deep-technology company founded in 2019 as a spin-off from the University Duisburg-Essen, headquartered in Duisburg with an R&D facility at TZU Oberhausen. The company designs and builds integrated microwave photonic components and systems that span microwave (3-30 GHz), millimeter-wave (30-300 GHz), and terahertz (0.3-3 THz) frequencies, using photonic integrated circuits based on hybrid integration of InP with SiN or high-frequency ceramic laminates. Its product portfolio comprises five hardware lines — Broadband Sources, Multi-Octave Sources, Quasi-Optical Sources, RF-over-Fiber transmitter/receiver optical sub-assemblies, and QKD coherent receivers — complemented by engineering, consultancy, and training services.
The company serves a mix of industrial and institutional customers in wireless communications, test and measurement, RF electronics, medical devices, quantum-secure communications, and, more recently, industrial recycling. Commercial hardware applications include radio-over-fiber front-ends, antenna-remoting, fiber-optic sensing for medical instruments, photonic skin cancer detection, and continuous-variable quantum key distribution. Technology milestones cited include a record 100 Gbit/s wireless data transmission for the 60 GHz ISM band, hybrid-integrated beam-steering antenna chips operating at 0.3 THz, and a refractive-index discrimination of 0.4 between healthy and cancerous tissue in skin sensing.
Microwave Photonics operates a B2B direct-sales model with custom-designed, quote-based pricing and no public rate cards. It monetizes through low-volume bespoke hardware sales plus engineering, technical consultancy (including advisory work for funding agencies such as the European Commission), and training for engineers and early-stage researchers. A substantial share of activity is funded through EU, German BMBF, and Interreg research consortia in which the company participates as a Tier-2 component specialist rather than a prime contractor. Ownership is founder-led under CEO Dr. Andreas Stöhr, with no parent company, equity investors, or subsidiaries disclosed.
Microwave Photonics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Microwave Photonics
- Legal name
- Microwave Photonics GmbH
- Website
- https://microwave-photonics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Microwave Photonics GmbH is a German spin-off that designs and sells custom integrated microwave photonic components spanning 3 GHz to 3 THz for RF/wireless, medical, quantum communication, and industrial-recycling customers, alongside engineering, consultancy, and training services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Microwave Photonics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Microwave Photonic Components
- NAICS
- Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515)
- SIC
- Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL) (HDAHALAL), Optoelectronic / Photonics Foundries (Silicon Photonics/LED/Laser) (HDAHACAG), Photodiodes & Discrete Photodetectors (HDAHAHAL)
Keywords
Where Microwave Photonics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Duisburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Microwave Photonics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- RF Photonic Components Sales: Sale of photonic THz emitters, broadband sources, RF-over-fiber modules, QKD receivers, and quasi-optical/multi-octave sources for various frequency bands
- Engineering Services: Partner with Microwave Photonics to develop novel RF photonic solutions - custom product development and integration
- Technical Consultancy: Professional consultancy for industry, investors, and funding agencies in microwave photonics, photonics and RF. Currently providing consultancy for world leading industries in wireless communications, test & measurement, RF electronics. Also provides consultancy for national funding agencies and European Commission
- Training Services: Technical trainings in RF photonics for engineers and early stage researchers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Custom product and service pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Microwave Photonics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Microwave Photonics GmbH designs, develops, and manufactures integrated microwave photonic components and systems spanning 3 GHz to 3 THz frequencies, including THz emitters, RF-over-fiber modules, QKD coherent receivers, quasi-optical sources, and multi-octave sources. The company also provides custom engineering services, technical consultancy, and training for RF and medical applications.
Product overview
Microwave Photonics is a German high-tech company developing integrated microwave photonic solutions for RF and medical applications. The product portfolio consists of photonic components and systems spanning the microwave (3-30 GHz), millimeter-wave (30-300 GHz), and THz (0.3-3 THz) frequency ranges. Core products include Broadband Sources, QKD-Receiver (for quantum key distribution), RF-over-Fiber components, Quasi-Optical Sources, and Multi Octave Sources. These products serve applications in radio-over-fiber, medical diagnostics (skin cancer monitoring), wireless communications, spectroscopy, imaging, sensing, and quantum-secure communication. The company also offers complementary services including Engineering, Consultancy, and Training.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Broadband Sources Photonic THz emitters with rectangular waveguide (WR) output, covering standard WR frequency bands for medical, test and measurement, wireless communications, spectroscopy, imaging, and sensing applications.
- QKD-Receiver Single-channel coherent optical detectors and dual-polarization I/Q integrated coherent receivers for quantum key distribution (QKD) systems, specifically designed for continuous-variable (CV) QKD, available in tabletop module format.
- RF-over-Fiber Multi-channel broadband radio frequency over fiber (RFoF) transmitter and receiver optical sub-assemblies (OSAs) for inter-equipment connectivity in satellite communications and test and measurement; supports up to four RF channels simultaneously and PCB-mountable via RF interposer.
- Quasi-Optical Sources Quasi-optical photonic THz emitters with low-loss silicon lenses for medical, RF-over-fiber, wireless communications, spectroscopy, imaging, and sensing; provides high-directive free-space radiation pattern and broadband operation.
- Multi Octave Sources Multi-octave photonic THz emitters with rectangular waveguide (WR) output for medical, test and measurement, wireless communications, spectroscopy, imaging, and sensing, supporting various WR frequency bands using appropriate WR adapters.
- Engineering Services Engineering services for developing innovative microwave photonic products; partners with clients to develop novel RF photonic solutions.
- Consultancy Services Technical consultancy for industry, investors, and funding agencies in microwave photonics, photonics, and RF areas; provides professional consultancy for world-leading industries in wireless communications, test & measurement, and RF electronics.
- Training Services Technical training services for RF photonic engineers and early-stage researchers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Record 100 Gbit/s wireless data transmission for 60 GHz ISM band
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Microwave Photonics
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Microwave Photonics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Microwave Photonics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.
- Making ConneQtions SME Cluster (QSA Technology, Sabratha Photonics, Pixel Photonics, PiCard Systems, Xen Quantum)flagshipInterreg VI project (€8.03M) for quantum chip development and 70km cross-border quantum communication testbed between Enschede and Münster. Microwave Photonics contributes RF photonic expertise to quantum communication chip development.
- Sabratha Photonics B.V.corePartner in REFLOW subproject of Interreg-COMET. Sabratha specializes in thin-film lithium niobate photonic integrated circuits; Microwave Photonics contributes RF-over-fiber expertise for Einstein Telescope LO reference distribution system.
- Fraunhofer IPMSmajorTechnology partner in SEQUIN project providing RISC-V processor core for Security Orchestrator development in CV-QKD side-channel resistance research.
- Move2THz Consortium (27 partners, 8 countries)flagshipChips Joint Undertaking project under Horizon Europe with €40.67M total investment. Focuses on InP manufacturing scale-up for sub-THz and THz applications. Microwave Photonics developing PICs for intra-satellite communication and 6G photonic receivers.
- PATTERN Consortium (Thales, CSEM, Fraunhofer HHI, IMEC, CNRS, Ghent University, Luceda Photonics, PHIX, L-UP, University of Cyprus, UCL)flagshipEU Horizon Europe project (€11.96M EU funding) developing world's first PDK & ADK for microwave photonics above 100 GHz. Microwave Photonics contributes RF photonic components expertise for radio-over-fiber and antenna-remoting systems.
- TeraScan Project ConsortiummajorEFRE/JTF NRW project developing world's first terahertz scanner for plastic identification in industrial recycling. Microwave Photonics contributing WR3-band photodiode chips, THz leaky-wave antenna designs, and AI algorithms for signal processing.
- 6G-ADLANTIK Consortium (Rohde & Schwarz, TOPTICA Photonics, TU Berlin, Fraunhofer HHI, Spinner GmbH)flagshipBMBF-funded project (€7.49M) for 6G THz components. Microwave Photonics achieved low-phase-noise THz generation using SiN Kerr microrings and developed waveguide structures for complete transmitter/receiver units.
- Adva Network SecuritycoreProject lead for DE-QOR BMBF-funded research project on quantum-secure communication. Led the collaborative research bringing together industry partners and academic institutions for CV-QKD system development.
- Leibniz University HannovermajorAcademic partner in DE-QOR project contributing to research on cybersecurity risks posed by quantum computing and CV-QKD system development.
- Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichmajorAcademic partner in DE-QOR project. Hosted final project demonstration. Contributing to research on quantum-safe encryption implementation.
- Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologymajorAcademic partner in DE-QOR project contributing expertise to development of next-generation CV-QKD systems for quantum-secure communication.
- TERAOPTICS Network (11 beneficiaries)flagshipMarie Skłodowska-Curie ETN (€4M) providing training to 15 early-stage researchers in THz photonics. Microwave Photonics hosts ESR secondments and contributes industry expertise in RF photonic components and THz emitter development.
- Mintres BVcoreDutch partner in SkinBall project for photonic skin cancer sensor development. Integrates photonic InP chip from University Duisburg-Essen on CVD diamond carrier for chip-on-carrier (CoC) device to manage thermal heating in sensor head.
- University Duisburg-Essen (Department ZHO/Optoelectronics)coreProvides photonic InP chip development and integration expertise. Essential academic partner providing optoelectronics research capabilities and technology development.
- University Hospital EssencoreClinical partner supporting SkinBall project with dermatological expertise and helping to analyze measured spectroscopic and image data for skin cancer detection validation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Microwave Photonics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Lumentum: Large-scale US photonic components and optical module maker. Comparable because it supplies transceivers, coherent receivers, and photonic integrated components to telecom and datacom markets — overlapping with Microwave Photonics' RFoF and coherent receiver products.
Broad incumbents
- Thorlabs: Broad-line photonic components and instruments vendor including THz sources, detectors, and fiber-optic components. Comparable because it sells into adjacent RF photonic, quasi-optical, and test & measurement customer segments.
- NeoPhotonics (now part of Lumentum): Photonic integrated circuit company specializing in high-speed coherent components. Comparable because it makes InP-based PICs for coherent optical applications that overlap with Microwave Photonics' QKD receiver and RFoF work.
- Hamamatsu Photonics: Japanese incumbent manufacturing photodetectors, optical sensors, and photonic devices. Comparable because it serves overlapping customers needing high-performance photodiodes and coherent receivers across telecom, medical, and scientific markets.
- Coherent (formerly II-VI / Finisar): Global photonics and semiconductor materials incumbent with broad portfolio including optical transceivers and photonic integrated circuits. Comparable because it competes across the same photonic-component value chain, especially for high-frequency optical modules.
Emerging players
- VLC Photonics: Spanish photonic integrated circuit design house offering design services and foundry access in InP, SiN, and silicon photonics. Comparable because it operates in the same PIC platform ecosystem (InP/SiN hybrid) that Microwave Photonics leverages.
Direct peers
- OEwaves: US company developing microwave photonic oscillators and ultra-low-noise photonic sources. Comparable because it addresses the same microwave-over-photonics problem space, particularly low-phase-noise signal generation above 100 GHz.
- TOPTICA Photonics: German photonics company specializing in laser sources including THz systems. Comparable because it operates in the same microwave/THz photonic sources market and is even a partner in 6G-ADLANTIK alongside Microwave Photonics.
- ID Photonics: German maker of coherent optical receivers and test instruments for optical communications. Comparable because it directly competes in coherent receiver technology relevant to QKD and RF-over-Fiber applications.
- TeraSense: Emerging THz imaging and source company. Comparable because it operates in the same sub-THz/THz emitter and detector space, including industrial imaging and spectroscopy applications relevant to Microwave Photonics' TeraScan work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Microwave Photonics social profiles
Digital presenceMicrowave Photonics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Microwave Photonics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Microwave Photonics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Microwave Photonics 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 Microwave Photonics
What does Microwave Photonics do?
Microwave Photonics GmbH designs, develops, and manufactures integrated microwave photonic components and systems spanning 3 GHz to 3 THz frequencies, including THz emitters, RF-over-fiber modules, QKD coherent receivers, quasi-optical sources, and multi-octave sources. The company also provides custom engineering services, technical consultancy, and training for RF and medical applications.
Is Microwave Photonics a public or private company?
Microwave Photonics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Microwave Photonics founded?
Microwave Photonics was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Microwave Photonics based?
Microwave Photonics is headquartered in Duisburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Microwave Photonics make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. RF Photonic Components Sales are the primary driver. The others are engineering Services, technical Consultancy and training Services.
Who are Microwave Photonics's main competitors?
Lumentum is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Thorlabs, NeoPhotonics (now part of Lumentum), Hamamatsu Photonics and Coherent (formerly II-VI / Finisar). VLC Photonics is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are OEwaves, TOPTICA Photonics, ID Photonics and TeraSense.
Does Microwave Photonics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Microwave Photonics.
What industry is Microwave Photonics in?
Microwave Photonics's product category is Microwave Photonic Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHALAM, Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules), with a secondary code of HDAHALAL, Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL). Its NAICS code is 334515 and its SIC code is 3674.