Microwave Photonics

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.

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

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

• Microwave photonic components
• Terahertz photonic emitters
• RF-over-fiber modules
• Quantum key distribution receivers
• Photonic integrated circuits

Headquarters

HQ city

Duisburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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
2. Engineering Services: Partner with Microwave Photonics to develop novel RF photonic solutions - custom product development and integration
3. 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
4. Training Services: Technical trainings in RF photonics for engineers and early stage researchers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.

• Making ConneQtions SME Cluster (QSA Technology, Sabratha Photonics, Pixel Photonics, PiCard Systems, Xen Quantum)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Interreg 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.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partner 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 or Integration · 1 August 2024Technology 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)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Chips 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)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EU 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 ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023EFRE/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)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022BMBF-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 SecuritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Project 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 HannovermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Academic partner in DE-QOR project contributing to research on cybersecurity risks posed by quantum computing and CV-QKD system development.
• Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Academic partner in DE-QOR project. Hosted final project demonstration. Contributing to research on quantum-safe encryption implementation.
• Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2022Academic partner in DE-QOR project contributing expertise to development of next-generation CV-QKD systems for quantum-secure communication.
• TERAOPTICS Network (11 beneficiaries)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020Marie 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 BVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Dutch 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Provides photonic InP chip development and integration expertise. Essential academic partner providing optoelectronics research capabilities and technology development.
• University Hospital EssencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Clinical 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

Others

• 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-duisburg-essen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Microwave Photonics