Airy3D

About Airy3D

Airy3D Inc. provides a hardware-enabled software solution that converts standard 2D camera sensors into multi-functional 3D sensors. Founded in 2015 by Jonathan Saari, Ji-Ho Cho, and Guillaume Poirier, the company originated as a spin-off from the Montreal-based incubator TandemLaunch. The core technology was first invented at Cornell University. The firm operates on a licensing business model, partnering with camera sensor original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and engaging in design collaborations with end customers. After a seed round in 2017 raising $3.5 million, Airy3D secured a $10 million Series A round in 2018, led by Intel Capital with participation from Robert Bosch Venture Capital (RBVC), CRCM Ventures, and others.

The company's key product is the DepthIQ™ platform. This technology utilizes a patented, micron-thin optical layer called a Transmissive Diffraction Mask (TDM) that is applied directly onto a standard CMOS image sensor during manufacturing. The TDM, essentially a diffraction grating, encodes depth information into the light before it hits the sensor, creating a unique raw data set. Airy3D's proprietary, low-power Image Depth Processing (IDP) software then decodes this data to simultaneously generate a high-quality 2D image and a corresponding 3D depth map from a single capture. This passive system requires no active illumination (like IR projectors) or multiple cameras, which significantly reduces hardware cost, size, power consumption, and computational load compared to traditional 3D technologies such as stereo vision or Time-of-Flight (ToF). The solution preserves 2D image quality and can be integrated into existing camera module designs without major hardware modifications.

Airy3D targets a broad range of high-growth vertical markets. Key application areas include consumer electronics like smartphones and PCs for features like live video bokeh and facial recognition; automotive for in-cabin and exterior Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS); industrial robotics for enhanced safety and object handling; and security for applications like anti-spoofing and access control. The company collaborates with industry partners to embed its technology, such as the partnership with Teledyne e2v to launch the Topaz5D sensor powered by DepthIQ, and collaborations with Seeing Machines for automotive in-cabin monitoring. In 2025, Airy3D's DepthIQ was recognized with the Edge AI and Vision Product of the Year Award.