Sense Photonics was a developer of solid-state flash LiDAR and 3D vision systems for autonomous vehicles, ADAS, industrial automation, and robotics applications. Founded in 2016 with headquarters in Durham, North Carolina and additional offices in San Francisco and Edinburgh, Scotland, the company pioneered a global-shutter flash LiDAR architecture capable of generating high-resolution point clouds at long range (demonstrating 200-meter detection). Sense raised approximately $48 million in venture funding from investors including Acadia Woods Partners, Congruent Ventures, Prelude Ventures, Samsung Ventures, Shell Ventures, Hemi Ventures, IPD Capital, and Piva Capital. In October 2021 the company was acquired by publicly traded LiDAR maker Ouster in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $68 million, and was absorbed into the newly formed Ouster Automotive division, with then-CEO Shauna McIntyre becoming President of Ouster Automotive.
Sense Photonics has been acquired
This company is no longer available on our private secondary market.
Company data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Founded
2016
Employees
50–100
Total Funding
$48.1M
4 rounds
Total raised $48.1M across 4 rounds
Funding data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Last updated 05-10-2026
Latest Round
Type
Series A Extension
Date
November 4, 2020
Amount
—
Valuation
—
| Date | Round | Amount Raised | Valuation | Lead Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 2020 | Series A Extension | — | — | |
| June 11, 2019 | Series A | $26M | — | Acadia Woods Partners, Congruent Ventures |
| October 9, 2018 | Venture Round | — | — |
Shauna McIntyre
Former CEO (became President, Ouster Automotive post-acquisition)
Scott Burroughs
Co-Founder
Hod Finkelstein
Former Chief Technology Officer
Competitor list is illustrative and may be incomplete, stale, or erroneous.
Ouster
Publicly traded digital LiDAR manufacturer (NYSE: OUST) that acquired Sense Photonics in 2021 to form its automotive division.
Luminar Technologies
Publicly traded automotive LiDAR supplier (NASDAQ: LAZR) producing long-range 1550nm sensors for ADAS and autonomous vehicle programs.
Aeva
Publicly traded FMCW 4D LiDAR developer (NYSE: AEVA) focused on autonomous driving and industrial applications.
Cepton
Automotive LiDAR maker (formerly NASDAQ: CPTN) using Micro Motion Technology (MMT) for ADAS and autonomous applications.
Innoviz Technologies
Publicly traded solid-state automotive LiDAR supplier (NASDAQ: INVZ) targeting ADAS and autonomous platforms.
Velodyne Lidar
Pioneering LiDAR manufacturer (merged with Ouster in 2023) historically supplying spinning and solid-state LiDAR to automotive and industrial markets.
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