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Sense Photonics, a leading developer of LiDAR and 3D sensor solutions, recently announced the closure of a $26 million Series A funding round. The round was co-led by Acadia Woods and Congruent Ventures, with participation from a number of other investors, including Prelude Ventures, Samsung Ventures, Shell Ventures, Hemi Ventures and IPD Capital.

The company’s cutting-edge, fully solid-state LiDAR system ushers in a new era of advanced 3D imaging technology designed from the ground up to meet the cost, performance and safety requirements for automotive and industrial applications. Based on a unique ‘flash’ architecture, Sense Photonics’ systems have no moving parts and do not scan at all. This approach enables high resolution across wide horizontal and vertical fields-of-view without compromising frame rate. In addition, the company’s camera-inspired design is highly manufacturable and enables small, customizable form factors critical for seamless integration into vehicles.

According to Josh Posamentier, managing partner, Congruent Ventures, the technology that the Sense Photonics team is working on is years ahead of the competition, and they think they are poised to disrupt multiple markets. Samsung Ventures invested in Sense Photonics based upon its opinion that Sense Photonics’ proprietary laser and sensor technologies represent a significant innovation in fundamental LiDAR technology that could have an important impact on automotive and industrial 3D sensing in the future.

Sense Photonics’ Series A funding will be used for continued development and commercialization of its sensor technology and the transition to high volume manufacturing. The company is currently in early sales with select early-engagement partners in both the automotive and industrial markets and will announce general availability of its first commercial product later this year.