Elio raises $21 million Series A for AI-native optical sensors

Israeli startup Elio has raised $21 million in a Series A round led by Innovation Endeavors and Xora, with participation from Kevin Weil and Scribble VC, Israel Defense reported. Existing investors UpWest and Resolute Ventures also took part. The round brings Elio's total funding to $29 million. Elio develops sensors meant for artificial intelligence systems rather than human vision. The company says its technology integrates computation into the optical path, using dynamic micromirror layers before light reaches the sensor so AI can decide in real time what information to capture. Elio says a single sensing module can handle tasks that once required multiple sensors and can gain capabilities after deployment. Stated applications include microscopy without destroying samples, semiconductor defect inspection without cutting wafers, adaptive sensing for robots, and defense detection of small, fast-moving threats such as drones in darkness and haze. Founded in 2022, Elio is led by founder and CEO Nadav Grossinger and CTO Nitay Romano. The pair previously co-founded Pebbles Interfaces, which was acquired by Meta, and later led physical sensing work for Meta's AR and VR platforms.