The Japanese Internet and telecommunications holding Softbank Group and the German camera manufacturer Leica are investing up to $121 million in the startup, Light , through their Vision Fund . The company has developed a multi-objective technology already used in its Light L16 compact camera. It contains 16 lenses with different focal lengths, of which ten work simultaneously. The individual takes are combined into one image by a software with a resolution of up to 52 megapixels. The technology is now scheduled to be launched on the market soon with a camera system of nine lenses for smartphones in cooperation with the Chinese manufacturer Foxconn .

With this funding, Light plans to expand into security, robotics, automotive and industrial imaging. The startup will build on the technology developed for the Light L16 for this purpose. The camera creates a type of coordinate system in the multi-lens images, in which the position of the imaged objects is noted. As a result, certain image areas can subsequently be focused. This technology could be used for self-driving cars as well.