Light.co

Founded in 2013 by Dave Grannan and Rajiv Laroia, Light.co initially entered the market as a digital photography company aiming to embed multi-lens camera systems into smartphones. The company's first major product was the L16, a standalone camera featuring 16 individual camera modules. Announced in October 2015, the L16 was designed to capture high-resolution images by computationally fusing photos from its multiple lenses, which had varying focal lengths. This approach allowed for features like significant optical zoom in a compact form and the ability to adjust the depth of field after a picture was taken.

The L16 camera began shipping to initial customers in July 2017. It produced images up to 52 megapixels by combining shots from at least 10 of its lenses for each photo. The device operated on an Android-based platform and required proprietary software, Lumen, to process the multiple images and unlock its full capabilities. While praised for its high resolution and portability, the L16 also faced criticism for its processing workflow, autofocus speed, and performance in low-light conditions. The company raised significant capital to support its development, securing a total of $186 million over four funding rounds, including a $121 million Series D in July 2018 led by the SoftBank Vision Fund. Other notable investors included GV (formerly Google Ventures), Bessemer Venture Partners, and Leica Camera AG.

In 2020, Light.co pivoted its business strategy, shifting its focus from consumer cameras to developing advanced perception systems for the automotive industry. The new direction leveraged its core multi-camera technology to create depth-sensing and perception platforms for vehicles, aiming to provide them with vision capabilities superior to human sight. The company's business model transitioned to supplying this technology to automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers. In May 2022, agricultural equipment manufacturer John Deere acquired parts of Light's assets and hired some of its former staff, signaling another evolution in the company's journey.

Keywords: computational photography, multi-lens camera, depth perception, automotive vision systems, L16 camera, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), optical zoom, imaging technology, sensor fusion, machine vision, autonomous vehicles, high-resolution imaging, folded optics, perception platform, automotive sensors, digital photography, mobile imaging, computational imaging, multi-camera systems, vehicle perception