Lumotive, a pioneering player in optical 3D sensor technology, is making bold moves to expand its global footprint. By establishing new offices in both Oman and Taiwan, the company aims to increase its commercial presence and production efficiency, signaling a transition from innovation to large-scale operations. This decision has been influenced by significant funding, growing market demand, and strategic leadership appointments. Here’s a closer look at their journey, and what it means for businesses and startups interested in advancing hardware-based technologies.
A Quick Background
Founded in 2017 in Redmond, Washington, Lumotive specializes in developing miniaturized, solid-state 3D sensor chips employing a unique technology called Light Control Metasurface (LCM). This technology enables precise laser beam steering without any moving parts, thus unlocking applications across robotics, smart infrastructure, and industrial automation. While Lumotive originally targeted the autonomous vehicle industry, they’ve shifted focus towards robotics, where the demand for compact, agile, and reliable sensing technologies has skyrocketed.
This pivot coincides with their financial growth, having secured $59 million in Series B funding earlier this year from notable investors, including Bill Gates’ fund, Samsung Ventures, and Oman’s ITHCA Group.
New Offices, and Why They Matter
Opening offices abroad is rarely about geography alone; it’s about strategically positioning resources where they can fuel growth.
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Muscat, Oman: This new Center of Excellence focuses on customer engineering and program management. Oman was chosen not only for its access to Middle Eastern and European markets but also for its growing pool of engineering talent and semiconductor design ecosystem. With the ITHCA Group already an investor, the location also strengthens ties between Lumotive and the region’s burgeoning tech sector.
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Taiwan: Known globally as a manufacturing powerhouse, Taiwan will support Lumotive’s sales and field application efforts across Asia, as well as scale production networks. The facility places Lumotive closer to its Asian partners and suppliers, ensuring faster, more efficient operations in the semiconductor supply chain.
These expansions are indicative of how tech startups like Lumotive are adjusting to the realities of scaling hardware production, a far cry from the purely software-based world embraced by many startups today.
Insights From Experience
Launching offices in global hubs can be a daunting task. Based on my entrepreneurial experience building multinational teams, and Lumotive’s case as an example, these steps can help startups aiming to follow a similar path:
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Assess Market Proximity: Don’t just think about selling in a region; consider how close you need to be to partners, suppliers, or research hubs. Lumotive’s decision to locate in Taiwan exemplifies how proximity to an established semiconductor ecosystem accelerates production timelines.
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Fundraise Strategically: Lumotive raised money not just with future revenue goals in mind but also to tie stakeholders like Oman’s ITHCA Group to their mission. Investors outside Silicon Valley often contribute more than capital, they invest in infrastructure, talent development, or policy initiatives tied to innovation.
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Tailor Each Office's Role: Not every office needs to carry out the same functions. In Lumotive’s case, Oman handles program management and customer relationships, while Taiwan focuses on production and logistics, division of labor that maximizes local strengths.
For businesses looking to develop hardware products, such tailored localization is worth emulating.
The Bigger Picture
Lumotive’s expansion aligns with a transformation I’ve seen across deeptech: hardware startups can no longer afford to target just niche customers. With competitive pricing enabled by better supply chains, metamaterial-based sensor technologies are now starting to penetrate broader consumer and industrial markets.
Consider this: in robotics alone, demand for high-performance lidar solutions has surged as firms adopt automation. Boston Consulting Group expects industrial robot uptake to increase 15% annually through 2030. Lumotive’s ability to position their LCM technology as a “platform” for sensing, much like charging a camera sensor, opens countless opportunities.
This shift provides critical learnings for founders focused on deeptech or hardware-based innovation. A successful go-to-market strategy hinges on flexibility, choosing to focus where growth is strongest while leaving room to expand into adjacent markets when the time comes.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
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Neglecting Local Talent Pools: Engineering talent is distributed globally but not evenly. Startups must understand each region’s capabilities. For instance, Lumotive benefits from Oman’s semiconductor talent pipeline while using Taiwan’s production expertise.
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Overbuilding Infrastructure Too Early: If you’re in hardware, global expansion is expensive. Lumotive’s decision to scale only after securing funding and demand partnerships was key to avoiding overextension.
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Ignoring Partners in New Regions: Expanding globally should never be a solo effort. Lumotive has actively built partnerships with robotics companies in Korea and Japan while strengthening ties with engineering firms in Oman. Longevity comes from fostering these collaborative ecosystems.
Concrete Steps If You’re Considering Expansion
For startups contemplating international growth, here’s a basic roadmap:
- Phase 1: Research the Region: Understand regional manufacturing costs, talent availability, and applicable taxes.
- Phase 2: Build Local Partnerships: Solidify relationships with OEMs, distributors, and even government-backed partners.
- Phase 3: Start Small: Begin with a single function, like manufacturing or customer support, before scaling other departments.
Executing this plan requires careful allocation of resources and thorough timing, particularly in sectors where upfront capital is tied heavily to physical production.
Closing Thoughts
Lumotive’s story highlights a changing tide in the hardware startup ecosystem, a transition that demands more infrastructure, partnerships, and global vision than ever. For entrepreneurs looking to navigate similar paths, their calculated moves into Oman and Taiwan offer a masterclass in balancing scale with localized expertise.
As someone who has spent over two decades helping startups blend innovation with strategy, I consider Lumotive’s case a shining example of how to prepare for sustained, global success in a physical world increasingly shaped by digital tools.
If you’re knee-deep in building a hardware startup, remember: expanding isn’t about conquering the globe overnight. It’s about finding the right pockets of opportunity, and connecting them seamlessly to your broader vision.
FAQ
1. What is Lumotive's focus as a company?
Lumotive is a Redmond-based startup founded in 2017 that specializes in miniaturized, solid-state 3D sensor chips using their patented Light Control Metasurface (LCM) technology. Learn more about Lumotive
2. Why did Lumotive choose Oman and Taiwan for their new offices?
Lumotive's new office in Oman focuses on customer engineering and program management for Middle East and European markets, while the Taiwan office supports manufacturing and sales in Asia. These locations were chosen strategically for proximity to markets, talent, and supply chains. Explore Lumotive's Oman and Taiwan expansions
3. How much funding has Lumotive received to date?
Lumotive raised $59 million in Series B funding in early 2025, with key investors including Bill Gates' fund, Samsung Ventures, and Oman’s ITHCA Group. Read about Lumotive’s Series B funding
4. What is Lumotive’s patented technology?
Lumotive’s Light Control Metasurface (LCM) enables precise beam steering for 3D sensing without moving parts, allowing robust applications in robotics, smart infrastructures, and industrial automation. Learn more about Lumotive's LCM technology
5. Why is Lumotive shifting focus from autonomous vehicles to robotics?
While originally targeting the self-driving automotive lidar market, Lumotive pivoted to robotics due to higher demand for agile and compact sensing solutions in that industry. Explore Lumotive's robotics shift
6. How has Lumotive expanded its workforce?
Lumotive increased its workforce by 50% in 2025, reaching nearly 80 employees across locations in Redmond, Oman, and Taiwan. Check out Lumotive's global workforce growth
7. Who are Lumotive's major partners in the robotics industry?
Lumotive has entered partnerships with robotics companies like Hokuyo Automatic (Japan) and Namuga (South Korea) to expand their ecosystem and distribution network. Explore Lumotive's partnerships
8. Does Lumotive aim to expand beyond robotics?
Yes, Lumotive sees future applications for their optical semiconductors in smart infrastructures, smartphones, and data center networking. Learn more about Lumotive’s broader vision
9. What kind of recognition has Lumotive received recently?
In December 2025, Lumotive won “Startup to Watch” by the Global Semiconductor Alliance and "Top Startup of 2025" by Electronic Product Design & Test magazine. Discover Lumotive’s awards
10. How does Lumotive’s technology impact the 3D sensing market?
Lumotive’s solid-state lidar chips are reducing costs and unlocking 3D sensing capabilities for broader applications across industries, likened to the prevalence of cameras in consumer devices. Learn about Lumotive’s impact on 3D sensing
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
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Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
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The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
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Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
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Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.