Elio

About Elio

Elio Labs is developing a new class of sensors designed for artificial intelligence, rather than for human perception. The company was founded in 2022 by CEO Nadav Grossinger and CTO Nitay Romano, who have collaborated for over two decades at the intersection of optics and AI. Their previous experience includes co-founding Pebbles Interfaces, a 3D gesture control company acquired by Meta, and subsequently spending seven years leading the development of physical sensing systems for Meta's AR and VR headsets. Grossinger also founded ColoRight, acquired by L'Oréal, while Romano served as Chief Optical Scientist at Holo/Or, where he worked on the diffractive optics technology that now forms the basis of Elio's platform.

Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Elio recently secured $21 million in a Series A funding round in July 2026. The round was led by Innovation Endeavors and Xora, with participation from notable investors including Kevin Weil, Scribble VC, UpWest, and Resolute Ventures. This follows a seed round on May 1, 2024, backed by Resolute Ventures, Scribble Ventures, and UpWest.

The company's core technology moves away from traditional static sensors that capture a fixed view of the world. Instead, Elio's platform allows an AI system to decide in real-time what information a sensor should capture. This is achieved through a dynamic optical system that integrates novel optical architecture with intelligent AI control. Tiny, steerable mirrors reconfigure the optics on the fly, reshaping light to change what is being measured mid-task. An AI model learns and calibrates this perpetually changing system, enabling self-calibration and resilience in challenging conditions. This approach turns sensing into a software-like function, capable of gaining new capabilities over time.

Elio's platform is designed to provide sample-to-insight analysis across various applications by combining imaging, spectroscopy, and holographic interferometry in a single instrument. The technology enables holistic phenotyping by capturing dynamic behavior and morphology across cells and tissues in both 2D and 3D cultures. Potential market applications span several industries, including drug development, where it can improve the prediction of drug safety and efficacy. In semiconductor manufacturing, it can identify defects inside stacked chip layers without destructive analysis. For defense, the sensors could detect small, fast-moving threats like drones, even in low visibility, while in robotics, the technology can consolidate multiple sensing capabilities into a single module.