The 2024 Laser Industry Report provides a detailed look at the advancing laser sector. It showcases growth in employment, innovation, and technology developments over the past year. Further, it explores key areas such as workforce dynamics, financial investments, and technological advancement, and offers insights into the current state and future potential of the laser industry.
This laser report serves as a reference for stakeholders within the industry, investors, policymakers, and economic analysts, providing a snapshot of the industry’s health to map its trajectory for innovation and growth in the coming years.
StartUs Insights Laser Industry Report 2024
- Executive Summary
- Introduction to the Laser Report 2024
- What data is used in this Laser Report?
- Snapshot of the Global Laser Industry
- Funding Landscape in the Laser Industry
- Who is Investing in Laser Solutions?
- Emerging Trends in the Laser Industry
- 5 Innovative Laser Startups
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Executive Summary: Laser Report 2024
This report is created using data obtained from the Big Data and AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering more than 4.7 million global companies, as well as 20K+ technologies and emerging trends. We also analyzed a sample of 3607+ laser startups developing innovative solutions to present five examples from emerging laser industry trends.
- Industry Growth Overview: The laser industry encompasses over 82170 companies, with a sector growth rate of -0.11% over the past year.
- Manpower & Employment Growth: The industry employs over 3.8 million employees, with 198000 new positions added in the past year.
- Patents & Grants: It filed over 68830 patents that focused on research and development. More than 5510 companies received grants to support innovation and technological advancement.
- Global Footprint: Key country hubs include the USA, Germany, UK, India, and China with New York City, London, Melbourne, Sydney, and Shenzhen forming key city hubs showing high startup activity.
- Investment Landscape: The industry attracted over 7700 funding rounds, indicating strong financial support and investor interest.
- Top Investors: Leading investors include Goldman Sachs, Sequoia Capital, and D1 Capital Partners. The combined investment amount of these investors amounts to USD 4.3 billion.
- Startup Ecosystem: Five innovative startups include WeedBot (laser weeding), K2 Photonics (dual-comb lasers), inPhocal (laser marking solutions), Blue Laser Fusion (laser fusion technology), and Lithium Lasers (femtosecond GHz-burst lasers).
- Recommendations for Stakeholders: Investors should look for opportunities in medical devices, manufacturing, and telecommunications, where laser applications are expanding. Exploring niches, such as high-precision micromachining, laser fusion energy, or environmentally-friendly laser marking will also boost entrepreneurship. Governments should increase support for laser technology research through grants and companies should integrate the latest technologies to enhance production, reduce costs, and improve accuracy.
Explore the Data-driven Laser Market Report for 2024
The Laser Report 2024 uses data from the Discovery Platform and encapsulates the key metrics that underline the sector’s dynamic growth and innovation. While the industry growth rate stands at -0.11% over the past year, the sector continues to innovate. About 68830+ patents are filed to focus on research and development. Additionally, more than 5510 companies received grants to support innovation and technological advancement.
The scale of the global workforce stands at 3.8 million employees with an increase of 198000+ new positions over the last year. Key geographical hubs showcase the concentration of activity in the top 5 country hubs – USA, Germany, UK, India, and China, and the top 5 city hubs – New York City, London, Melbourne, Sydney, and Shenzhen. This detailed representation offers insights into the industry’s landscape and emphasizes the distribution of companies, employment growth, and the spread of patents and grants.
What data is used to create this laser report?
Based on the data provided by our Discovery Platform, we observe that the laser industry ranks among the top 5% in the following categories relative to all 20K topics in our database. These categories provide a comprehensive overview of the industry’s key metrics and inform the short-term future direction of the industry.
- News Coverage & Publications: More than 31100 news articles were published about lasers in the last year.
- Funding Rounds: Our database includes data on over 7700 funding rounds to indicate financial support and investor interest.
- Manpower: With a workforce of more than 3.8 million workers, the industry shows growth and expansion. It added more than 198.4K new employees in the last year alone.
- Patents: The industry holds over 68830 patents.
- Grants: It secured more than 5510 grants to support continued research and development.
- Yearly Global Search Growth: The laser industry experienced a yearly global search growth of 7.20%.
- and more. Contact us to explore all data points used to create this laser report.
A Snapshot of the Global Laser Industry
The laser report reveals an expanding sector characterized by manpower and investment activity. The industry employs a total of 3.8 million workers and demonstrates growth with the addition of 198400 new employees in the last year alone. This increase in the workforce highlights the sector’s ability to generate new employment opportunities despite declining growth.
Explore the Funding Landscape of the Laser Industry
Financially, the industry sees considerable investment activity. The average investment value per funding round stands at USD 27 million and reflects investor confidence and the potential of companies within this sector. The industry attracted over 3200 investors, who participated in more than 7700 funding rounds. Moreover, these investments supported over 4080 companies to innovate, expand, and drive forward industry growth. With more than 82170 companies in total, the sector attracts significant financial backing.
Who is Investing in Laser?
The combined value allocated by the top investors in the industry exceeds USD 4.3 billion. This financial commitment showcases the interest in the sector’s growth and innovation. Here is a detailed breakdown of the leading investors, the amount they allocated, and the number of companies they supported:
- Goldman Sachs allocated USD 2.1 billion to 4 companies.
- Sequoia Capital spread USD 514.4 million across 7 companies.
- D1 Capital Partners financed 2 companies with USD 450 million.
- Lincoln Electric Holdings distributed USD 427 million across 3 companies.
- General Atlantic channeled USD 416.8 million into 5 companies.
- Vista Outdoor invested USD 412.5 million in 2 companies
- and more. Get in touch to explore all investment data in the laser industry.
These figures reflect the financial engagement from top-tier investors that provide support for innovation, expansion, and development within the industry.
Access Top Laser Innovations & Trends with the Discovery Platform
Photonics, with 2527 companies, experiences an annual growth rate of 8.08%. This sector employs 132K people, with 9.5K new hires in the past year. The increasing demand for advanced imaging systems, laser-based technologies, and optical communication solutions drives this growth. As industries like healthcare, telecommunications, and defense integrate photonics for more efficient and precise applications, the sector’s expansion continues.
Fiber Laser technology trend evolves with 1729 companies and an annual growth rate of 10.74%. The sector employs 107K individuals, adding 6.5K new jobs over the past year. This growth saw an increase in the technology’s applications in manufacturing, medical devices, and communication systems. Fiber lasers offer precision, efficiency, and reliability with high power outputs and improved beam quality.
Sensor Technology expands with 15818 companies and a workforce of 580K. This trend area included about 47K new employees in the last year and reflected a 3.35% annual growth rate. The use of IoT devices, smart systems, and automation across industries like automotive, healthcare, and consumer electronics drives this growth.
5 Top Examples from 3607+ Innovative Laser Startups
The five innovative startups showcased below are picked based on data including the trend they operate within and their relevance, founding year, funding status, and more. Book a platform demo to find promising startups, emerging trends, or industry data specific to your company’s needs and objectives.
WeedBot offers Laser Weeding
Latvia-based startup WeedBot develops a laser-based weeding technology for precision agriculture. Its AI-backed algorithm captures images to distinguish between weeds and crops. Subsequently, the system targets weeds with a laser beam for thermal treatment. The technology enhances weed management without damaging soil or using chemicals. The startup’s product, Lumina, controls weed and reduces the need for herbicides. The high precision of the laser ensures the elimination of weeds down to millimeter accuracy.
K2 Photonics builds Dual-Comb Lasers
Swiss startup K2 Photonics’ dual-comb lasers generate two output beams with controllable repetition rate differences and enhance the optical frequency comb utilization. These lasers achieve femtosecond-level precision through a single-cavity architecture and common-noise suppression to capture the ultrafast phenomena. For instance, the startup’s K2-ASOPS product provides low-repetition rate dual-comb lasers suitable for pump-probe measurements with ultra-low noise and sub-cycle timing jitter. Its K2-1000 suits spectroscopy and ranging while offering high power per comb line and stable performance. Both systems feature compact designs, eliminating the need for synchronization electronics and reducing instrument complexity.
inPhocal provides a Laser Marking Solution
Netherlands-based startup inPhocal develops a laser marking solution for precision printing and cutting applications. The startup’s lasers use focused beams of light to produce designs with clean edges. The technology offers fast production speeds and eliminates the need for ink to reduce maintenance and environmental impact. The lasers print on curved surfaces to expand branding possibilities for various products. Additionally, inPhocal’s technology integrates easily into existing production lines and caters to industries such as food and beverages, wafer dicing, welding and cutting, and direct-on-food.
Blue Laser Fusion develops Laser Fusion Technology
US-based startup Blue Laser Fusion’s laser fusion technology achieves high repetition rates and megajoule pulse energy for commercial fusion. The startup utilizes HB11 hydrogen-boron fuel to ensure non-radioactive, neutron-free operations and produces only safe helium elements. Moreover, it adopts an aneutronic reaction using a mixture of high-gain solid fuel target materials for environmentally friendly operations. This technology assists in generating energy for power grids.
Lithium Lasers makes Femtosecond GHz-Burst Laser
Italian startup Lithium Lasers builds FEMTOFLASH, an ultrashort pulse (USP) laser technology for precision and speed in industrial manufacturing. This FEMTOFLASH laser emits high-frequency bursts of ultrashort pulses and allows crack-free micromachining on various materials, including metals, ceramics, and glasses. The proprietary design eliminates chirped pulse amplification (CPA) stages and makes the laser compact and efficient. Additionally, the laser ensures minimal heat-affected zones and debris to maintain high-quality results. It applies in industries such as electronics, medical, aeronautics, space, luxury, automotive, bioimaging, neuroscience, and non-linear optics.
Looking for Comprehensive Insights into Laser Trends, Startups, or Technologies?
The 2024 Laser Market Report showcases a sector characterized by ongoing investments and innovation. As the industry evolves, it makes further strides in various technological fields. This report serves as a resource for stakeholders in providing an overview of the industry’s current status and future outlook and highlighting its potential for continued advancement and impact. Connect with us today to explore all 3607+ startups and scaleups, as well as all industry trends impacting laser companies.
