What Cightech does

Cightech is an Iran-based, privately-held technology transfer and innovation services firm founded in 2018, operating as a Center of Innovation for Green and High Technologies. Its core business is brokering applied research and commercialization between academic researchers, SMEs hosted in technology parks, and industrial investors. The company runs a portfolio of structured programs—Applied Research Innovation Program (ARIP), Sponsor Absorption, Highway to Innovation for New Talents (HINT), Collaborative High-tech Innovation Program (CHIP), Professional Consulting, and Contribution in Production and Promotion—underpinned by a designated commercialization agreement with Modares Science and Technology Park covering roughly 120 hosted tech-companies.

Its proprietary product layer is concentrated in digital optics and photonics: LCoS Spatial Light Modulators (2K and 4K variants, including a telecom-targeted 4K device for ROADM/WSS/OCM), 5D Digital Optical Microscopes for advanced materials and surface science, and customized surgical optical fiber probes. The Innovation Hive ("The Hive") is an online marketplace aggregating 590+ listings across research equipment, materials, services, global events, publications, and research jobs, supplemented by the MEDES Design Studio for industrial/product prototyping and the Young Innovation & Technology Center (YITC) for talent development.

Cightech monetizes through a mix of professional consulting fees, transaction/commission revenue on investor matchmaking, licensing or production contributions to third-party products, and marketplace commission on The Hive, with instrument sales as a secondary stream. The operating footprint is primarily domestic (Tehran, anchored to Modares Science and Technology Park) with select international technology partnerships (Jasper Display, Blockchain Life Forum).

Name

Cightech

Legal name

Cightech

Website

https://cightech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cightech is an Iran-based technology transfer and innovation services firm that connects academic researchers, SMEs, and industrial investors through structured programs, a photonics hardware portfolio (SLMs, 5D optical microscopes, surgical probes), and The Hive online marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Transfer & Innovation Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL) (HDAHALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI), Data, Communications & Fiber Optic Cable (IMADAMAD)

Keywords

• Technology transfer services
• Research equipment marketplace
• Photonics instruments
• Innovation consulting
• Spatial light modulators

Headquarters

HQ city

Tehran

HQ country

Iran

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting: Scientific counseling to industry or academia in exchange for consulting fees. Cightech retains intellectual property rights in research papers or patents where they have professional contribution.
2. Sponsor Absorption Services: Finding suitable industrial investors for SMEs and negotiating on their behalf. Cightech may contribute to products or link SMEs to industries in exchange for commission.
3. Contribution in Production and Promotion: Contributing to high-tech or green-tech products and/or marketing and promotion of such products when interested.
4. The Hive Marketplace: Online marketplace for research equipment, materials, devices, services, events, books, publications, and research jobs. Platform with 590+ products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cightech operates a Center of Innovation for Green and High Technologies that delivers technology transfer services via structured innovation programs (ARIP, CHIP, HINT, Sponsor Absorption), runs The Innovation Hive online marketplace for research equipment, materials, services, events, publications, and research jobs, and develops proprietary photonics products including 5D Digital Optical Microscopes, Spatial Light Modulator kits, and customized surgical optical fiber probes.

Product overview

Cightech is a Center of Innovation for Green and High Technologies operating as an international effort to transfer new ideas to real products. The company offers a multi-layered portfolio combining innovation programs (ARIP, CHIP, HINT, Sponsor Absorption), The Innovation Hive marketplace for research equipment/services/materials, and specialized products including 5D Digital Optical Microscopes (Advanced Materials Series, Surface Science Series), Spatial Light Modulator kits (Education Kit, Research Kit), Industrial/Product Design services, and Surgical Optical Fiber Probes. The company also operates the Young Innovation & Technology Center (YITC) and maintains partnerships for global events including Blockchain Life forums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Hive: Platform offering research services, equipment, materials, global events, books, publications, and research job opportunities for researchers, investors, and mentors.
• YITC (Young Innovation & Technology Center)
• MEDES Design Studio
• ELSA
• ThemeTech

Products and services

• Applied Research Innovation Program (ARIP)
• Sponsor Absorption
• Highway to Innovation for New Talents (HINT)
• Collaborative High-tech Innovation Program (CHIP)
• Professional Consulting
• The Innovation Hive (The Hive)
• 5D Digital Optical Microscope: Advanced Materials Series
• 5D Digital Optical Microscope: Surface Science Series
• Spatial Light Modulators (SLM) — Education Kit
• Spatial Light Modulators (SLM) — Research Kit
• Industrial/Product Design
• Surgical Optical Fiber Probes
• CIGHTECH Instrument
• Young Innovation & Technology Center (YITC)
• Global Events Platform

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Dr. Mojtahedi Cultural FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2021Agreement to establish Young Innovation & Technology Center (YITC) for enrichment of young talents based on social responsibilities for high technology education, youth entrepreneurship, and sustainable development of less developed regions. Named in memory of Dr. Mohammad Ali Modjtahedi Gilani for young talent breeding and training. Dr. Mojtahedi was founder of Sharif University of Technology and dean of Amirkabir University of Technology.
• Modares Science and Technology Park (MSTPark)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2018Cightech was recognized as a reliable company to take responsibility for commercialization of Modares Science & Technology Park technologies. Cightech selects impressive technologies for investment among almost 120 tech-companies hosted by MSTPark. After selection and direct contract with selected tech-companies, Cightech handles commercialization including consultancy, analysis, negotiation with investors, and R&D project design if necessary. MSTPark is a comprehensive Science and Technology Park in Tehran launched in 2003 with campuses of 60 and 4.8 hectares.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IDTechEx: Research and events business focused on emerging technologies (photonics, nanotech, perovskites) with subscription research and global conference programs—overlaps with Cightech's research-services and global-events offerings.
• Thorlabs: Vertically integrated photonics equipment supplier offering SLMs, microscopy components, optical fiber products, and research instruments—directly comparable to Cightech's hardware portfolio, with much greater scale and global distribution.
• Jasper Display Corp. Fabless semiconductor company supplying LCoS, SLM, μLED microdisplays, and digital modulation controller ICs—technology partner and direct competitor in the SLM value chain.
• Scientist.com: Online marketplace connecting researchers with research services and equipment suppliers—directly comparable to The Hive platform, though with stronger life-sciences focus and larger supplier base.
• HOLOEYE Photonics: Germany-based specialist in LCoS-based Spatial Light Modulators for research, holography, and optical computing—directly comparable to Cightech's SLM product line and Jasper Display partnership.
• Lux Research: Provides innovation scouting, technology transfer advisory, and emerging-tech research for enterprise clients—closely aligned with Cightech's CHIP, ARIP, and Sponsor Absorption consulting programs.

Emerging players

• Santec: Japanese photonics company specializing in tunable lasers, optical components, and SLM-adjacent devices for telecom test and research—comparable to Cightech's 1550 nm SLM targeting ROADM/WSS applications.

Broad incumbents

• Jenoptik: German photonics and optics company offering optical components, laser systems, and microscopy instrumentation—competes with Cightech in optical instruments/lenses and industrial photonics applications.
• Battelle: Large R&D services operator bridging academic research to commercial deployment across multiple technology domains—analogous to Cightech's innovation-transfer mandate but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Hamamatsu Photonics: Japanese photonics component and system manufacturer with products in optical modulators, microscopy, and optoelectronic devices; addresses similar research and telecom end markets as Cightech but at a substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cightech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cightech