Six startups were named as the winners at the SPIE Startup Challenge, receiving industry accolades and a share of $35,000 in prize money. The challenge included two tracks: health care and deep tech.

In the deep tech track, In A Blink took home the top prize. Its WINK-ol technology provides virtual fiber optics to enable massive data transfer from public-transport and industrial vehicles to a smart grid. Owl Autonomous Imaging, which developed a 3D ranging thermal camera for safer robotic mobility, took second place, and Ki3 Photonics won third place for its solutions for secure quantum communications.

In the health care track, first place was awarded to Advanced Optronics for its flexible surgical sensor designed to work with cochlear implants. LASE Innovation took second place with its technology to improve single-cell analysis. In third was Prebeo, whose kidney viability assessment system aims to make kidney transplants safer and more efficient.

In A Blink and Advanced Optronics were each awarded $10,000. Second-place winners Owl Autonomous Imaging and LASE Innovation each received $5000, and third-place winners Ki3 Photonics and Prebeo each took home $2500.