Axon Vision to Collaborate with Leonardo DRS: Week in Brief: 12/5/2025
TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 5, 2025 — Axon Vision, a provider of AI systems for the defense market, announced a cooperation agreement with Leonardo DRS to develop military technology for the U.S. market. Per the agreement the cooperation will leverage Leonardo DRS's deep operational experience, advanced sensors, and system integration capabilities, along with Axon Vision's AI-based perception and autonomy technologies. The companies aim to develop combat systems that deliver low-latency, high-bandwidth sensor data management, enhance crew awareness, and enable automated threat engagement, focusing on counter-unmanned aircraft systems.
Axon Vision’s AI-powered defense solutions. Courtesy of Axon Vision.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Dutch Research Council (NWO) and PhotonDelta have awarded more than €16 million ($18.6M) to 18 research projects focused on photonic chips. The program aims to stimulate research progress in materials, components, and systems within integrated photonics in areas complementary to existing PhotonDelta projects. The investment will fuel progress in photonic technologies for applications in medical technology, sustainable AI, wireless communication, and other areas.
CHANDLER, Ariz. — VIAVI and QNu Labs, a full-stack hybrid quantum security company, partnered to develop quantum security and advanced network intelligence technologies. Under the partnership, VIAVI and QNu will deliver defined test cases and badging mechanisms for quantum-safe technologies, including standalone post-quantum cryptography (PQC), quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum random number generator, and hybrid PQC/QKD systems. The partnership will provide a solutions framework for enterprises, telecom operators, banking, aerospace, defense, government, and research organizations worldwide. The collaboration will also yield detailed specifications and reference architectures to guide the deployment of quantum-safe communications.
CEO Martin Danoesastro. Courtesy of Delft Circuits.
DELFT, Netherlands — Delft Circuits, a developer of high-density I/O solutions for quantum computers, secured an an €8 million ($9.3M) extension of the company’s previous financing round and appointed Martin Danoesastro as CEO. The funds bring the total capital raised to €15 million. Delft plans to use the additional capital to strengthen its team, expand manufacturing capacity, accelerate product innovation, and increase commercial operations. The funding comes from existing shareholders as well as new investors, Paeonia Group and Waves Capital Partners. Paeonia has a strong network in Asia, which will help Delft expand in the region.
Preparations for raising a Series B round in 2026 are underway.
(From left) Tom Booker, commercial manager at Milton Park, Johannes Feldmann, co-founder and CTO of Salience, and Rob Davis, operations manager at Salience. Courtesy of Milton Park.
MILTON, England — Salience Labs, a start-up that focuses on photonics switches for AI data centers, joined Milton Park, one of Europe's largest single-owned science, business, and technology parks. The start-up has raised over $54 million, including from Oxford Science Enterprises. Salience Labs will use its 6700 sq ft R&D facility to develop photonic switches that route and manage data traffic quickly and cost-effectively. The move has tripled the start-up’s workspace, hosting a collaborative space for its 50+ employees.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Alio Labs, a thin film fab, and UltraFast Innovations, a dispersive optics and advanced optical instrumentation company, have entered a technology cooperation partnership. The companies aim to develop solutions for attosecond thin film optics, high laser damage threshold optics, and instrumentation enabled by thin film innovation. To kick off the collaboration the companies will begin by hosting coordinated programs in thin film-enabled performance, next-generation metrology, and optical instruments for high-intensity laser systems.
Cree LED and SANlight announced a partnership under which SANlight will use Cree LED’s J Series products in its new STIXX-Series luminaires. Courtesy of Cree LED.
DURHAM, N.C. — Cree LED partnered with SANlight, an LED lighting company. Under the partnership, SANlight will use Cree LED’s J Series products in its STIXX-Series luminaires. Designed for tight spaces, the STIXX fixtures offer high module efficiency, up to 3.1 μmol/J, long lifetimes exceeding 53,000 h, and IP68-rated protection against dust and water. Using advanced optics for efficient light delivery, the modular luminaires are suitable for toplighting, undercanopy, and vertical farming applications, supporting vigorous growth and healthy plant structure throughout both the vegetative and generative phases.
Merck’s Semiconductor Solutions megasite, located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Courtesy of Merck.
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Merck inaugurated its Semiconductor Solutions megasite in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, after investing a total of €500 million ($582.9M). The space is Merck's largest semiconductor materials campus, spanning 1,614,586 sq ft. The site focuses on thin films, formulation materials, specialty gases for high-precision layering, etching, and patterning processes in advanced semiconductor production. The site will begin production in 2026, creating 150 additional jobs in Kaohsiung.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — NUBURU, a blue laser technology company, signed a binding agreement to acquire Lyocon, a laser-engineering and photonics company specializing in advanced laser sources, precision optical systems, and customized laser platforms for industrial, medical, and high-reliability applications. The $2 million acquisition expands NUBURU’s European engineering footprint and advances its transformation into a vertically integrated Defense & Security Technology Hub spanning lasers, radio frequency systems, mobility platforms, and software-enabled defense architectures. The transaction also deepens the technical foundation supporting NUBURU’s ongoing strategic program with Tekne. Lyocon’s blue-wavelength systems complement NUBURU’s core blue-laser intellectual property, which accelerates NUBURU’s ability to deploy products across industrial automation, precision manufacturing, and defense sectors.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Laser Photonics received a notice from Nasdaq Listing Qualifications on Nov. 20 stating that the company's Form 10-Q has not been received, with the company in violation of rules for continued listing. Nasdaq stated that Laser Photonics has until Jan. 19 to submit a plan to regain compliance with respect to the delinquent report. Nasdaq can grant an exception to allow the company to regain compliance up to a maximum of 180 calendar days from the due date of the Form 10-Q, which would be May 19, 2026. The company, on Dec. 4, issued a release clarifying that it had not received a delisting notice.
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