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Knowing the Forest and the Trees – Employee Spotlight Andrew Kurtz Circle Optics Chief Research Officer

Nov 17, 2022 | Know-How

We at Circle Optics are an eclectic group of interesting people who are deeply curious and want to make a difference through immersive experience. Meet Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Kurtz. Andrew was employee number three coming to Circle Optics with already over 110 patents from his work as Principal Scientist and Director of R & D at IMAX, after working for many years as a Scientist in the Kodak R&D Labs.

Circle Optics Recognized As One Of Pepperdine’s Most Fundable Companies

Oct 14, 2022 | Company News

Rochester, New York, Oct. 14 2022: Circle Optics is delighted to announce that it achieved the Silver recognition on the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School's fifth annual Most Fundable Companies® List. Circle Optics competed against over 4,000 of early-stage US...

Beyond The Line of Sight with Circle Optics Founder & CEO Zak Niazi

Sep 27, 2022 | Know-How

Zak Niazi presenting "Beyond The Line of Sight" at the Drones & Robotics Summit in NYC September 2022. The 1950s were the golden age of air travel. Flying was extremely glamorous. People would dress up. Booze was served in fancy glassware and the meals consisted...

Circle OptIcs Awarded $250K SpaceWERX Orbital Prime Contract

Sep 16, 2022 | Company News

Circle Optics announces it has been selected by SpaceWERX for a STTR Phase I in the amount of $250K to investigate how its Hydra 2 might enable In-space Service Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities being explored by the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and...

ENHANCING SLAM CAPABILITY TO CIRCLE ~ AJIT MUTALIK

Sep 6, 2022 | Know-How

We at Circle Optics are an eclectic group of interesting people who are deeply curious and want to make a difference through immersive experience in aerospace, robotics and entertainment. Meet Ajit Mutalik our Computer Vision Intern pursuing a Master’s of Computer Science at the University at Buffalo. He is contributing to our SLAM capabilities. SLAM stands for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, it a method used by autonomous systems to build maps of the environment while localizing in it. The map is used for navigation and obstacle avoidance.

Leveraging Company Culture as a Flywheel for Strategic Growth-continued

Aug 26, 2022 | Know-How

By Ian Gauger, Chief Operating Officer Circle Optics, Inc. was founded in December of 2017, though, the company’s origins extend much further back, to a senior lens design course at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics attended by founder Zak Niazi. The...

Carlos Terrero – Engineering, Mentorship & The Promise of Immersive Technology

Aug 23, 2022 | Uncategorized

We at Circle Optics are an eclectic group of interesting people who are deeply curious and want to make a difference through immersive experience. Meet Carlos Terrero, PE, our Senior Mechanical Engineer. Originally from Puerto Rico and formerly working at Xerox, he comes to Circle with almost 40 patents and an innate drive for reinvention.

Leveraging Company Culture as a Flywheel for Strategic Growth –

Aug 19, 2022 | Know-How

Ian Gauger, Circle Optics Chief Operating Officer Circle Optics, Inc. was founded in December of 2017, though, the company’s origins extend much further back, to a senior lens design course at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics attended by...

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NASA Awards Circle Optics a Phase I Contract to Enhance Detect and Avoid Optical Sensing for Urban Air Mobility

Aug 5, 2022 | Company News

NASA Awards Circle Optics a Phase I Contract to Enhance Detect and Avoid Optical Sensing for Urban Air Mobility

Art, Perception and Technology

Jul 29, 2022 | Experts for Experts, Innovation

Circle Optics physics first solution uses polygonal lenses that align along their edges without parallax distortion. Like our own technology, we love stories about innovation. One such story is by artist Mark Matthews who created a new method for designing glass objects – precision air entrapment.

INNOVATION PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE – SKYDOME AT GRIFFISS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Jul 26, 2022 | Circle On the Road

Recently we were part of the Hanger Bay Skydome ribbon cutting. Skydome is a building that was once a hangar for B-52 Bombers, is now the largest FAA designated indoor drone testing site in the country. It was amazing to be sitting inside of a WWII hangar thinking about the past, present and future.

Reflections from COO Ian Gauger – Collision conference 2022

Jul 5, 2022 | Circle On the Road, Innovation

The Collision Conference brings together leading technology companies and top media including 35,562 attendees, 1557 startups and 793 investors. It is a place we want our technology represented. This year our COO Ian Gauger and Senior Optical Engineer John Bowron...

Circle Optics Features NASA Inventor & Visionary Ricardo Arteaga

Jun 28, 2022 | Experts for Experts, Innovation

Given our commitment to the power of “what if?” and the dedication to imagine what has not yet been built, we were able to collaborate with Ricardo Arteaga, Flight Systems Engineer at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. We appreciate that he took time to speak...

Circle Robotics Feature: Beyond the Line of Sight -Airial Robotics with Jörg Schamuhn and Birgit Schamuhn

Jun 10, 2022 | Know-How

Airial Robotics is a European company that is also part of the Genius New York Program. They have patented technology which extends the limits of commercial drone applications. Airial Robotics is most known for their hybrid drive system technology, Gyrotrak, which combines the best of Gyrocopter and Helicopter.

Employee Spotlight: Cody Hatch

May 27, 2022 | Know-How

We at Circle Optics are an eclectic group of interesting people who are deeply curious and want to make a difference through immersive experience. Meet Cody Hatch our Mechanical Engineer and graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology

[Rochester Beacon] Helping the world see in 360 degrees

Apr 6, 2022 | In the Media

With $2.5 million in contracts, Circle Optics is looking to offer different ways to view the world. The company, a member of Luminate NY’s second cohort, is known for creating Hydra, a stitchless 360-degree camera... Read Story

Circle Optics Awarded $2,500,000 To Further Develop Panoramic Imaging Capability

Mar 21, 2022 | Company News, In the Media

Rochester, New York, March 18—Circle Optics, innovators of the Hydra, the world’s first stitch-less 360° camera have been awarded an United States Airforce AFWERX grant of $750,000 (USD). This Phase II award is for “Improved Image Capture for AI Training...

Circle Optics Awarded $1,750,000 To Revolutionize Situational Awareness Through Enhanced Imaging

Mar 11, 2022 | Company News, In the Media

Circle Optics Awarded $1,750,000 To Revolutionize Situational Awareness Through Enhanced Imaging Panoramic Imaging Increases Capability with UAV & Drone Technology Rochester, New York, March 11—Circle Optics, innovators with patented technology...

[WAER] Innovators Enter Final Month of GENIUS 5.0 To Win Big Money Prize In Syracuse Drone Tech Tournament

Sep 23, 2021 | In the Media

A $1 million prize is on the line in a Syracuse-based tech innovation competition. Read Story

[local SYR] GENIUS NY putting Syracuse on the map in drones and robotics

Sep 22, 2021 | In the Media

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)- The top five business finalists have been chosen for GENIUS NY, a business accelerator program at CenterState CEO’s Tech Garden. All of the finalists were determined to have the potential to help boost the local economy. Read Story

[RIT] Venture Creations company Circle Optics named a finalist in Genius NY competition

Aug 18, 2021 | In the Media

Circle Optics, a company in RIT’s Venture Creations technology business incubator, was named a finalist in the Genius NY accelerator program. Circle Optics was one among 600 applicants that rose to the top five for the program, which will come with an investment of...

[NYS Development] Empire State Development Announces Genius NY Round Five Finalists

Aug 17, 2021 | In the Media

Empire State Development (ESD) today announced the five teams selected to take part in round five of the innovative GENIUS NY business accelerator program. Supported by the CNY Rising Upstate Revitalization Initiative and administered by CenterState CEO at the Tech...

GENIUS NY Announces Round Five Finalists

Aug 17, 2021 | In the Media

Syracuse – GENIUS NY, a business accelerator program at CenterState CEO’s Tech Garden, today announced the five finalists companies selected for its fifth round. These startup unmanned systems and robotics companies will participate in the year-long program and will...

Circle Optics Named GENIUS NY Round Five Finalist

Aug 17, 2021 | Company News, In the Media

ROCHESTER, N.Y., - Circle Optics beat out more than 600 applicants to be selected as one of five finalists from around the world to receive a total of $3 Million in investments and participate the GENIUS NY accelerator in CNY. GENIUS NY is a business accelerator...

[CNYBJ] GENIUS NY PROGRAM ANNOUNCES 13 SEMIFINALISTS IN THIS YEAR’S COMPETITION

Jun 30, 2021 | In the Media

Genius NY, a business-accelerator program at CenterState CEO’s Tech Garden, on Tuesday announced 13 teams as semifinalists in the competition’s fifth round. Selected from 600 applications from more than 50 countries, Circle Optics is honored to announce that we are...

GENIUS NY Announces 13 Semi-Finalists

Jun 29, 2021 | In the Media

Circle Optics Receives Small Business Innovation Research Awards from the United States Air Force

May 24, 2021 | Company News, In the Media

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK – Circle Optics, Inc. announces that it has been awarded two Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contracts and one Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the United States Air Force through the AFWERX innovation...

Governor Cuomo Announces Another 120 New Jobs to Be Created as Result of Luminate NY Competition

Apr 22, 2021 | In the Media

In response to the region's comprehensive strategy to revitalize communities and grow the Economy, Circle Optics is committed to creating approximately 60 jobs in upstate NY. Circle Optics CEO Zak Niazi said, "Since moving our company to Rochester in 2019, we have...

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