Abstracts due 22 July
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30 January - 4 February 2027
San Francisco, California, US

SPIE Startup Challenge Network of Experts

Meet the judges and mentors that will support the pitch competition in 2026
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Troy Anderson

Patent Attorney, Suiter Swantz IP

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Markus Arzberger

Senior Director and Head of Product Line Automotive & Vital Signs, ams OSRAM

Person with short, light-colored hair wearing a blue and white striped collared shirt, in an indoor setting with blurred architectural elements in the background.

William Burgess

Co-CEO, Power Technology, Inc.

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Garrett Cole

Associate Professor, Wyant College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona

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Damon Diehl

Director of Technology Integration, NextCorps Luminate

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Peter Egerton

Chief Commercial Officer, Alluxa

Portrait of a person with short curly hair wearing a blue floral-patterned top and a necklace, standing outdoors with tall buildings and a clear sky in the background.

Christine Galib

Advancing Photonics Technologies Director, Princeton University

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Marc Himel

Optics & Photonics Evangelist | Strategist, Independent Consultant

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Agnes Hübscher

Senior Director Global Strategic Marketing, Edmund Optics

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Frank Levinson

General Partner, Phoenix Venture Partners

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Michele Nichols

President, Launch Team Inc.

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Shoichi Osawa

Senior Director, Sony Electronics

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Christopher Rowan

Founder and Managing Director, Arscientia

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Lars Sandström

Director Business Strategy, Optikos Corporation

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Michelle Stock

Director of Business Development and Sales, North America, TracInnovations

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Babak Tehranchi

Patent Attorney and Partner, Perkins Cole LLP

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Mark Tolbert

President & CEO, TOPTICA Photonics, Inc.

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Ian Tracey

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Anchored In Ltd.

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Matthew Weakly

Principal Systems Engineer, JENOPTIK

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Aaron Weinroth

Commercialization and External Innovation, Panaxium

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Andrés Zuluaga

CTO, Clearview Optics, LLC