Cephia has developed Super Human Sensors!

Cephia's Innovative Sensor

Princeton University has launched Cephia on October 30 with $4 million in seed funding, after a decade-long research into developing imaging sensors beyond traditional cameras. Pilot customers have begun testing products that promise imaging capabilities surpassing human perception.

This San Francisco-based company builds its imaging sensors using artificial intelligence, computational imaging, and silicon meta materials. The funding round was managed with Radiant Opto-Electronics Corporation, in collaboration with deep technology investors Incharge Capital, backed by Porsche SE and Deutsche Telekom. Additionally, MetaVC Partners, NRM Partners, and SOSV have also announced their participation in this round.

According to Cephia, the new funds will support product development, team expansion, and sales initiatives.

Cephia's technology is inspired by biological systems found in marine and insect life. Creatures such as mantis shrimp, dragonflies, and cephalopods possess eye structures that can detect wavelengths and dimensions beyond human vision. Cephia states that it has transformed these natural designs into compact sensors capable of detecting phenomena overlooked by traditional cameras.

Bo Dong, co-founder and CEO of Cephia, said, “Our technology, based on meta materials, is inspired by nature. The complex eye structures of mantis shrimp, dragonflies, and cephalopods allow us to perceive unseen worlds.” He added, “By fitting this capability into a portable size, we are unlocking countless possibilities.”

Cephia utilizes silicon meta materials that manipulate light in ways traditional materials cannot. This approach enables detection functions that are difficult to replicate with existing technology. The company targets applications in fields such as consumer electronics, manufacturing, and precision agriculture.

The founding team consists of scientists collaborating at Princeton University's Computational Imaging Laboratory. Bo Dong previously led computer vision teams at Disney Research Imagineering and ESPN's Advanced Technology Group. He also worked as a senior computer vision researcher at SRI International.

Cephia's co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Ethan Tseng received his PhD from Princeton, where he developed the world's first full-color meta surface cameras. He has also conducted research at Carnegie Mellon University and Adobe.

The third co-founder Felix Heide is a professor at Princeton University and serves as the head of artificial intelligence at Torc Robotics. He was previously a co-founder of Algolux, which was acquired by Torc Robotics.

The team published research in 2021 in the journal Nature Communications, demonstrating that cameras the size of a salt grain can capture images.

Radiant Opto-Electronics Corporation manufactures backlight modules and imaging technologies for tech companies worldwide. This investment provides Cephia access to investor networks.

Justin Wang, President of Radiant Opto-Electronics, stated, “We see the potential of Cephia's technology to redefine metasurface-based multimodal imaging systems and are pleased to announce our leadership in Cephia's seed round.”

Aleksej Mitrjaschkin from Incharge Capital Partners noted that Cephia's multimodal sensing solution appeals to various sectors. “The multimodal sensing solution uncovers new use cases in large markets like automotive, manufacturing, and consumer electronics,” he said.