Hiphen Acquires Aurea Imaging’s Phenotyping Activities: Week in Brief: 1/17/25

RhyGaze, a biotechnology company spun out of the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, has secured $86 million in Series A funding. The funding will enable further development of RhyGaze's gene therapy for optogenetic vision restoration in diseases causing blindness. Activities to be supported include formal pharmacology and toxicology testing; a noninterventional, observational study to assess potential clinical endpoints in patient groups eligible for the therapy; and a first-in-human clinical trial to test the safety, tolerability, and potential efficacy of the technique.

AVIGNON, France — Hiphen, a remote sensing company for agriculture, has entered into an agreement with computer vision company Aurea Imaging to acquire Aurea’s drone phenotyping activities. With the acquisition, Hiphen hopes to strengthen its position in Europe, while the divestment will allow Aurea to focus on its orchard management for fruit growers.

Hiphen’s Cloverfield data platform will benefit from the drone phenotyping activities acquisition. Courtesy of Hiphen.

BRUSSELS — The European Commission has approved the acquisition of Ansys by Synopsys, conditional upon full compliance with the commitments offered by the parties. This comes after Ansys entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of its PowerArtist business to Keysight Technologies, Inc. earlier this month. The divestment was done in an effort to obtain regulatory approval for the $35 billion deal.

WARRINGTON, England — Infrared quantum dot technology developer Quantum Science has secured bilateral funding from Innovate U.K. and Innosuisse to support the company’s two-year QDHIGHSWIR research project in conjunction with CMOS camera manufacturer Photonfocus. The goal of the project is to solve challenges in creating larger quantum dot materials suitable for use in high-speed SWIR cameras. This comes after Quantum Science signed a joint development agreement earlier this month with a European sensor company to integrate its quantum dot ink products into high-tech imaging systems.

A USCG aircraft with an electro-optic sensor system-modernize system. Courtesy of Teledyne FLIR Defense.

BOSTON — Teledyne FLIR Defense has been awarded a five-year indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract worth up to $74.2 million to provide modernized imaging surveillance systems to the United States Coast Guard (USCG). FLIR Defense will deliver more than 125 electro-optic sensor system-modernize systems for use on USCG rotary wing aircraft featuring a full-HD sensor suite and updated user interfaces as well as advanced processing capabilities and software enhancements that will support future growth.

Bridger’s Gas Mapping Lidar. Courtesy of Bridger Photonics.

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Aerial methane detection company Bridger Photonics’ Gas Mapping Lidar technology has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Bridger’s technology uses laser sensors attached to small aircraft and helicopters to fly over oil and gas infrastructure to detect fugitive methane emissions. The technology detects, locates, images, and quantifies emissions, providing operators with the data needed to efficiently find and repair leaks as well as information to strategically address systematic issues and proactively mitigate emissions.

SURREY, England — Designer and manufacturer of customized electronics discoverIE Group plc has acquired Burster Group, a designer and manufacturer of specialist sensors, for an initial cash consideration of €30.6 million ($31.5 million) on a debt-free, cash-free basis, before expenses, which will be funded from the group's existing debt facilities. In addition, an earn-out of up to €12.4 million will be payable subject to Burster achieving certain financial performance conditions in its year ending Dec. 31. Burster will join the group’s sensing cluster within the Sensing & Connectivity division.

KISTA, Sweden — Sivers Semiconductors has successfully signed contracts for both the Electronic Warfare and 5G/6G chip development awards with the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub through the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, worth a total of $30 million. The awards validate Sivers' wireless developments as enablers for millimeter-wave technology adaption and will help push projects for the commercialization of radio frequency and beamforming technology for defense and dual-use applications.

Member of Prisma Photonics and Great River Energy. Courtesy of Prisma Photonics.

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Prisma Photonics, an optical fiber infrastructure monitoring company, has entered into a partnership with Great River Energy, a not-for-profit wholesale electric power cooperative, to deploy its PrismaPower monitoring technology across approximately 90 miles of transmission lines in northern Minnesota. The partnership will enable real-time monitoring and notification of threats to Great River Energy's power lines and to its member-owners and customers. These threats include wildfires, icing, wind, and physical damage such as downed lines.