Reimagining image sensors unlocking new photography frontiers. Empowering innovation at the source and bringing extraordinary images to life

About us

2022

  • Metahelios founded by Charles Altuzarra and Yash D. Shah

  • First patent submitted

  • First revenue

  • First ‘storage space’ office



2023

  • Second patent submitted

  • Established access to cleanroom facilities in Manchester

2024

  • Selected for Silicon Catalyst ChipStartUK accelerator (Cohort of 10 out of 40+ UK applicants)

  • First fundraise

2025

  • Selected for Luminate accelerator (cohort of 10 companies out of 197 applicants) – with $100k investment

  • Selected for NATO’s accelerator (cohort of 72 companies out of 2600 applicants) – grant of €100k

  • Seed fundraise closing date January 2026


Meet the team

Meet the passionate individuals behind our vision.

Team

Advisors

Charles Altuzarra, PhD

CEO

Expert of Metasurfaces, Quantum Optics and Imaging. Charles Altuzarra obtained a MSc and PhD from Nanyang Technological University in the CNRS/Thales/NTU institute. He is an expert of Metasurfaces, Quantum Optics and Imaging. His academic career spans over three continents. His work is featured in top scientific journals which include Nature Photonics, and work cited for the 2022 Physics Nobel Prize.

Yash D. Shah, PhD

CTO

Expert of Metasurfaces, Terahertz Optics and Semiconductor. Yash D. Shah obtained a MSc from Northwestern University and PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is an expert of Metasurfaces, Terahertz Optics and Semiconductor Physics. He has authored more than 40 publications. His work is featured in top scientific journals which include Nature Photonics.

Rob Howard

Nanofabrication engineer

Rob has a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Manchester. For the past decade, he has worked in nanofabrication at the National Graphene Institute. In that time, he has supported and trained hundreds of academic and industrial researchers across dozens of groups, companies and research projects, grant applications, theses, and publications. He is the foremost expert on plasma tools, metrology, and wet chemistry.

Meet the team

Meet the passionate individuals behind our vision.

Team

Advisors

Charles Altuzarra, PhD

CEO

Expert of Metasurfaces, Quantum Optics and Imaging. Charles Altuzarra obtained a MSc and PhD from Nanyang Technological University in the CNRS/Thales/NTU institute. He is an expert of Metasurfaces, Quantum Optics and Imaging. His academic career spans over three continents. His work is featured in top scientific journals which include Nature Photonics, and work cited for the 2022 Physics Nobel Prize.

Yash D. Shah, PhD

CTO

Expert of Metasurfaces, Terahertz Optics and Semiconductor. Yash D. Shah obtained a MSc from Northwestern University and PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is an expert of Metasurfaces, Terahertz Optics and Semiconductor Physics. He has authored more than 40 publications. His work is featured in top scientific journals which include Nature Photonics.

Rob Howard

Nanofabrication engineer

Rob has a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Manchester. For the past decade, he has worked in nanofabrication at the National Graphene Institute. In that time, he has supported and trained hundreds of academic and industrial researchers across dozens of groups, companies and research projects, grant applications, theses, and publications. He is the foremost expert on plasma tools, metrology, and wet chemistry.

Meet the team

Meet the passionate individuals behind our vision.

Team

Advisors

Charles Altuzarra, PhD

CEO

Expert of Metasurfaces, Quantum Optics and Imaging. Charles Altuzarra obtained a MSc and PhD from Nanyang Technological University in the CNRS/Thales/NTU institute. He is an expert of Metasurfaces, Quantum Optics and Imaging. His academic career spans over three continents. His work is featured in top scientific journals which include Nature Photonics, and work cited for the 2022 Physics Nobel Prize.

Yash D. Shah, PhD

CTO

Expert of Metasurfaces, Terahertz Optics and Semiconductor. Yash D. Shah obtained a MSc from Northwestern University and PhD from the University of Cambridge. He is an expert of Metasurfaces, Terahertz Optics and Semiconductor Physics. He has authored more than 40 publications. His work is featured in top scientific journals which include Nature Photonics.

Rob Howard

Nanofabrication engineer

Rob has a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Manchester. For the past decade, he has worked in nanofabrication at the National Graphene Institute. In that time, he has supported and trained hundreds of academic and industrial researchers across dozens of groups, companies and research projects, grant applications, theses, and publications. He is the foremost expert on plasma tools, metrology, and wet chemistry.

Connect with us today

Have questions or feedback? We’d love to hear from you and assist you further.

Connect with us today

Have questions or feedback? We’d love to hear from you and assist you further.

Connect with us today

Have questions or feedback? We’d love to hear from you and assist you further.

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© 2025 Metahelios. All rights reserved.

Site by Shoreditch Design

© 2025 Metahelios. All rights reserved.

Site by Shoreditch Design

© 2025 Metahelios. All rights reserved.