An Edinburgh company, spun out of the University of Edinburgh, that makes cameras and sensors able to detect and time single particles of light for quantum and imaging research.
Photon Force designs and makes cameras that can sense single photons, which are the smallest particles of light, and record when each one arrives. Its sensors can timestamp up to half a billion photons a second. That sounds technical, but the uses are varied: studying quantum light sources, quantum communications, imaging through cloudy or scattering material, tracking hidden objects, looking at the way light moves, fluorescence imaging in biology, and early work on brain-computer interfaces. Its products include the PF32 camera range, the PF32 OEM modules, the PF1D-1024 module and cameras, and custom sensors.
Dr Richard Walker co-founded Photon Force in 2015, after seven years in the CMOS Sensors and Systems Group at the University of Edinburgh led by Professor Robert Henderson. He is the chief executive. The company has won an Institute of Physics award for its ultrafast single-photon sensors. Its stated belief is that researchers should have powerful tools for faster scientific progress, and it says its technology brings an order-of-magnitude speed-up to single-photon imaging and data processing. It describes itself as moving from supplying research labs to supporting systems ready for the quantum industry.
Photon Force is based in Murchison House, 10 Max Born Crescent, in Edinburgh. It is a member of Technology Scotland and has been a regular exhibitor at the UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase. It has taken part in Innovate UK quantum projects, listed as QuEOD, HYDRI, TQEC, QT Assemble and an underwater single-photon imaging system. In September 2025 Dr Walker joined a panel on funding at the ScaleUp Britain Edinburgh event. We did not find a headcount.
In a company profile, team member Ryan Warburton describes the team as growing and close-knit, almost like family. He joined in 2016 after about eight years as a university researcher, and his role covers building, testing and developing the product, customer support, and attending events. He says the team combined remote working with office access for hardware building during COVID-19 and had flexible hours. These are personal accounts from the company's own channels and may have changed.
A company that makes single-photon cameras needs chip and sensor designers, electronics and firmware engineers, software developers who process the huge amount of data the cameras produce, test engineers, and technical sales and customer-support staff who help scientists use the equipment. Physics, electronic engineering, computer science and maths are all relevant. Photon Force's website has a careers and culture section where you can see current roles.
Website: www.photon-force.com
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