PhotonStudio: Turning industrial pains into photonic startups
New venture studio by PhotonDelta and Gritd flips the script on startup creation: from “look what we can do” to “we can solve your problem”.
Published on November 5, 2025
Irene Rompa, Laurens Weers and Stephan Botz at the launch of PhotonStudio
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The photonics world gained a new growth engine today. On stage at the PIC Summit Europe in the Evoluon, PhotonDelta and Gritd announced the launch of PhotonStudio, a new venture studio that aims to create startups from validated industry challenges rather than from a technology push.
“Too many conversations in photonics start with: look what we can do,” said Laurens Weers, representing PhotonDelta. “The technology is brilliant, but that’s not how you build sustainable companies. We want to flip that script and start from a real problem that needs solving.”
From problem to startup
PhotonStudio’s method reverses the traditional innovation process. Instead of starting with a photonic chip and searching for a use case, the studio starts by interviewing companies in industries such as food, logistics, healthcare, and energy to identify bottlenecks: moments where measuring, sensing, or monitoring slow down progress.
“We collect those use cases and turn them into validated business cases,” explained Stephan Botz, CEO of Gritd. “Clear problems, measurable pain, and a customer who wants it solved, that’s where it begins. From there, we build the right team and solution around it.”
A joint engine for the ecosystem
PhotonStudio brings together the complementary strengths of both partners. “PhotonDelta connects the entire photonics ecosystem from chip designers and module makers to foundries and integrators,” said Weers. “Gritd brings deep expertise in market validation and venture building. That combination means we’re not guessing; we’re orchestrating the process of startup development, from industry signal to market-ready venture, faster and more efficiently.”
Botz described PhotonStudio as “a unique venture studio powered by Gritd and PhotonDelta.” The process is intentionally short and focused, turning a validated problem into a viable business case and prototype within months instead of years.
Unlike traditional venture studios, PhotonStudio will not take equity in the startups it helps create. “It’s a no-equity, value-creation model,” Weers said. “We build startups as a service for future founders. The value flows to the ecosystem: to founding teams, investors, and especially to the industrial partners whose bottlenecks we help solve. Our incentive is impact, not ownership.”
A call to innovators and founders
The initiative’s first goal is to spin out two ventures within the next twelve months, as real proof points that the model works. “If you’re an industrial company struggling with a bottleneck in your process, talk to us,” said Botz. “PhotonStudio can help turn that bottleneck into a business case and connect you with founders who can help solve it.”
Weers added a second invitation: “And if you’re an entrepreneurial spirit ready to build a company based on a real industry need, reach out. We’re looking for founders who want to create impact through photonics.”