Exclusive: Eyeo exits stealth to give cameras human-like colour vision

Dutch startup Eyeo has emerged from stealth with €15mn in funding to advance a breakthrough photonics technology for cameras that could radically disrupt the way we take images.

Eyeo spun out last year from Belgium’s Imec, one of the world’s leading nanoelectronics centres. The startup’s waveguide colour-splitting technology — an optical technique that uses tiny structures to guide and separate light by wavelength — triples the light sensitivity of today’s best image sensors. 

Eyeo’s sensors allow all sorts of cameras, from DSLRs to those in smartphones and virtual reality headsets, to capture brighter, clearer images, especially in low-light conditions. The technology also enables cameras to “see” colour in much the same way our eyes do, thanks to “unprecedented” colour fidelity, Eyeo said. 

Jeroen Hoet, CEO of the Eindhoven-based company, called the results a “new standard for the future of imaging.” 

Most cameras today (like those in your phone) use colour filters — tiny red, green, and blue layers — on top of each pixel to create a colour image. But these filters block over 70% of the light that hits them. That means most of the light is wasted, especially in low-light conditions. These filters also limit how small pixels can be, which in turn limits how compact and high-resolution a camera can be.

Instead of blocking light with filters, Eyeo splits photons using tiny structures called waveguides that direct each colour of light directly to the right pixel. This results in a sensor that captures all of the incoming light. The technology also allows camera sensors to have minuscule pixels, smaller than half a micron (1/1000mm) in size. 

All this equates to a sensor that can process a lot more light, effectively doubling the resolution of a camera using a chip of the same size. 

“Eyeo is fundamentally redefining image sensing by eliminating decades-old limitations,” said Hoet. “This technology paves the way for entirely new applications in imaging, from ultra-compact sensors to enhanced low-light performance, ultra-high resolution, and maximum image quality.” 

The use cases could be wide-ranging. They could span ultra-slim smartphones with great camera quality; smaller, higher-resolution AR and VR headsets; security cameras capable of capturing more reliable footage; and lightweight camera drones.  

Eyeo says it has already established partnerships with “leading image sensor manufacturers and foundries” to commercialise its technology. With fresh capital, the company now aims to improve its current camera sensor designs. It’s also looking to deliver its first evaluation kits to customers in two years time. These kits let potential customers test and explore the technology before it’s ready for mass production.  

Imec’s venture arm, Imec.xpand, co-led the funding round alongside Invest-NL. QBIC fund, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), and Brabant Development Agency (BOM) also chipped in.

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