Full-Time
Senior Imaging Scientist
Metalenz
11-50 employees
Designs metasurface-based optical systems
Compensation Overview
$120k - $165k/yr
Boston, MA, USA
In Person
Hybrid work arrangement; on-site in Boston, MA for qualified roles.
 Electrical Engineering (1) |
|---|
- PhD or MS with 3+ years of experience in Physics, Optics, or a related scientific or engineering field
- Strong background in camera, imaging lens, and image sensor metrology
- Ability to propose, develop, and evaluate algorithms to improve imaging outcomes
- Comfortable performing measurements of standard camera performance metrics, including MTF, dynamic range, flare, stray light, and dynamic range, and their extension to alternative settings like polarimetry
- Strong understanding of the entire camera system, and how the illumination, imaging, and sensing systems work together
- Familiar with image analysis platforms such as Imatest, Quick MTF, or OpenCV
- Ability to write, evaluate, and instrument Python code for imaging automation, algorithm development, and data analysis
- Comfort at the optical bench, setting up measurements, aligning lasers and cameras, and designing new experiments
- Optical design with Zemax/TracePro/Code V/FRED considered a plus
- Eagerness to apply your hard-earned optics skills to practical, real-world applications
- Characterize Metalenz advanced imaging cameras for 3D sensing and biometric applications
- Propose and develop new algorithms for beyond-RGB across the imaging pipeline
- Architect new camera, lens, and other optical test set-ups and methods, as well as expanding upon and improving existing methods
- Build analysis tooling and automation, analyze test data, and compile reports to feedback to application, design, fabrication, and machine learning teams
- Work with engineering and operations teams to transfer measurement methods to high volume testers
- Optical design with Zemax/TracePro/Code V/FRED considered a plus
Metalenz designs and manufactures metasurface-based optical systems that use nanoscale structures to control light’s phase, polarization, and intensity. Their metalenses replace bulky curved lenses with compact, flat components that can be produced in standard semiconductor foundries, enabling large-scale production. The company stands out by leveraging foundational IP from Harvard’s Capasso Lab to create multifunctional optics that consolidate multiple functions into a single layer, improving efficiency and supply chain simplicity. Its goal is to make smaller, cheaper, and more capable optical systems for consumer electronics, automotive, robotics, and industrial applications through scalable metalens technology.
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Series B
Total Funding
$47.4M
Headquarters
Boston, Massachusetts
Founded
2020
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- 300 million metasurfaces shipped prove manufacturing scale with STMicroelectronics and UMC.
- Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra integrates Polar ID, driving Android flagship adoption in 2027.
- Polar 3D enables on-device relightable selfies and avatars, expanding to metaverse revenue.
What critics are saying
- UMC yields drop below 80% in Polar ID ramp, delaying Android shipments by six months.
- Qualcomm builds proprietary metasurface ISP in Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, bypassing Metalenz.
- Goodix undercuts Polar ID pricing by 40%, capturing 70% mid-range Android market share.
What makes Metalenz unique
- Metalenz metasurfaces replace multi-element lenses with single flat metalens from Harvard Capasso Lab.
- Polar ID captures full polarization state for 0% spoof face authentication under OLED displays.
- Over 150 patents cover metasurface design, manufacturing, and Polar 3D imaging for biometrics.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
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Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
401(k) Company Match
Flexible Work Hours
Hybrid Work Options
Stock Options
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Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↑ 2%2 year growth
↑ 5%Metalenz unveils Polar 3D for 'richer digital identity' on smartphones, laptops. Metalenz has unveiled Polar 3D, a new imaging capability that builds on its existing Polar ID facial authentication platform. The technology is designed to capture lighting-independent facial shape and surface detail from a single image, enabling consumer devices to generate accurate, 3D-ready facial data on-device. "Polar 3D brings new optical intelligence directly to users," says Rob Devlin, CEO and Metalenz co-founder. "By capturing polarization information, we're no longer asking software to guess how light behaves on a face - we're measuring it, efficiently and on device." Polar 3D uses polarization-based imaging to separate diffuse and specular reflections, distinguishing true skin tone and texture from glare or lighting artifacts. This approach reduces reliance on software reconstruction and cloud processing, allowing smartphones, laptops and other devices to process biometric data more efficiently. "That means realistic relighting, improved rendering and richer digital identity - all without adding hardware complexity," Devlin says. "Imagine you have the perfect backdrop for a photo, but the sun is in the wrong spot. With Polar 3D, you can keep the backdrop and adjust the lighting to match." The system extends the same polarization hardware used in Polar ID, which is designed to prevent spoofing and strengthen trust in facial authentication, with Polar 3D combining authentication with 3D facial capture. Metalenz positions it as a unified optical platform that can secure identity in physical interactions while supporting more realistic digital representation in applications such as avatars, virtual try-on and online presence. The signal is captured optically at the sensor level, allowing Polar 3D to lower computational demands, obviating the need for multi-angle scans or processor-heavy reconstruction pipelines. Metalenz plans to demonstrate Polar 3D alongside Polar ID at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which takes place March 2-5. The company is planning for take-off it seems, having reportedly worked with Samsung for a future smartphone that includes facial recognition technology, and partnering with UMC to begin mass production of Polar ID for consumer devices. Article topics. Latest biometrics news. Feb 24, 2026, 7:59 am EST Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to hand a private contractor the keys to its surveillance future, outsourcing the... Feb 24, 2026, 7:58 am EST Nigeria's National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) recently held discussions with officials of Trust Stamp to examine the possibilities of... Feb 24, 2026, 6:57 am EST There's approbation in some quarters in Kenya following the assent by President William Ruto to a draft legislation that will... Feb 24, 2026, 6:40 am EST Russians have verified their age more than 1 million times using the state-backed "super app" Max, which includes a digital... Feb 24, 2026, 6:27 am EST Security, trust and transparency are often cited as benchmark standards for a national digital identity system. An audit report of... Feb 24, 2026, 6:25 am EST LexisNexis has announced the launch of an AI-powered identity platform to streamline the patient management journey. The company release notes...
Polar 3D from Metalenz delivers relightable selfies and realistic avatars on device from a single image. Feb. 23, 2026, 10:00 AM * Polarization-based imaging technology for consumer devices preserves true shape, texture, and surface detail across lighting conditions for efficient on device perception. * The same Polar ID hardware for trusted authentication now enables digital presence with Polar 3D. BOSTON, Feb. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Metalenz, the pioneer of metasurface technology, today announces Polar 3D, a new set of imaging capabilities that extend the company's Polar ID(TM) face authentication platform from security into digital presence. Polar 3D captures lighting independent shape and surface reflection from a single image, allowing consumer devices to generate accurate, 3D-ready facial data instantly on-device without scans, multiple angles, or processor-hungry reconstruction. Polar 3D uses monocular shape-from-polarization imaging to capture studio-quality 3D facial data in one shot. This allows diffuse and specular reflections to be separated instantly, distinguishing true skin tone and texture from glare and lighting artifacts. The result is facial surface texture and detail that carries across environments and downstream applications, independent of original lighting conditions. For users, Polar 3D enables naturally relightable selfies, photorealistic avatars that retain subtle human detail, and a more true-to-life appearance in virtual try on and copresence environments. Highlights move naturally, shadows fall correctly, and faces remain consistent across lighting conditions. "Polar 3D brings new optical intelligence directly to users," said Rob Devlin, CEO and Co-Founder of Metalenz. "By capturing polarization information, we're no longer asking software to guess how light behaves on a face - we're measuring it, efficiently and on device. The same polarization data that verifies a real human is present for secure authentication can now enable more expressive, interactive experiences. That means realistic relighting, improved rendering, and richer digital identity - all without adding hardware complexity. Imagine you have the perfect backdrop for a photo, but the sun is in the wrong spot. With Polar 3D, you can keep the backdrop and adjust the lighting to match." Because the signal is captured optically at the sensor, Polar 3D dramatically reduces downstream compute requirements. There is no need for scans, long captures, cloud processing, or complex reconstruction pipelines. As a result, the technology is suitable for smartphones, laptops, and other consumer devices. Polar 3D builds on the same sensor-level metasurface architecture as Metalenz's Polar ID(TM), the company's polarization-based face authentication technology designed to protect against spoofing and ensure on-device trust. Together, Polar ID and Polar 3D form a unified optical platform - establishing identity in the physical world while enabling realism and self-representation in the digital one. As AI systems move from the cloud into the physical world, they increasingly depend on sensors that measure reality rather than approximate it. By pairing optical intelligence at the sensor with efficient on-device algorithms, Polar 3D delivers the kind of grounded perception required for emerging edge AI applications. Metalenz will demonstrate Polar 3D capabilities together with Polar ID at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. About Metalenz Metalenz is driving innovation in optics with metasurface technology, providing image sensing solutions that deliver unprecedented on-device optical intelligence to mass market machine vision, enabling advanced sensing and transformative applications to proliferate where compact size & cost-efficient integration is a must for widespread adoption. Markets Insider and Business Insider Editorial Teams were not involved in the creation of this post. Your Market View | Name | Price | +/- | % | Date | | TSLA | 398.47 | -13.24 | -3.22 | 02/23/2026 11:36:02 AM | | AAPL | 266.26 | 1.61 | 0.61 | 02/23/2026 11:36:02 AM | | MSFT | 386.36 | -10.92 | -2.75 | 02/23/2026 11:36:02 AM | | NFLX | 75.72 | -2.98 | -3.78 | 02/23/2026 11:36:00 AM | | SPOT | 471.60 | -19.08 | -3.89 | 02/23/2026 11:35:57 AM | Find News News
Galaxy S27 Ultra may finally have a key security feature iphones have had for years. The first rumors for Samsung's 2027 flagship suggest it may get a crucial security feature. We're still waiting for Samsung to unveil the Galaxy S26 lineup, but rumors about the Galaxy S27 are already appearing. The latest leaked detail is focused on a brand-new feature for the Galaxy S27 Ultra. Galaxy S27 Ultra may feature a Polar ID face unlock. Samsung may use a new face unlock technology on the Galaxy S27 Ultra, which could rival Apple's Face ID. According to tipster @SPYGO19726 on Twitter, an early test firmware for the Galaxy S27 Ultra mentions a biometric security framework called "Polar ID v1.0." Internal logs describe the term as a "polarized-light authentication system." In a follow-up, the tipster notes that the module is tied to the ISOCELL Vizion sensor on the front and a new secure enclave routine. Probably more exciting is the claim that the mechanism works with an unlock latency of around 180 ms. Of course, it also provides improved resistance to spoofing compared to Samsung's current face unlock. A likely rumor based on an intriguing technology. While the source of that rumor has a mixed reputation, a couple of things make that information sound very likely. Firstly, that's not the first time we're hearing about Polar ID on a Samsung smartphone. Over a year ago, we heard rumors that Samsung was planning to start using Polar ID on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Shortly after that, another rumor objected to the information, claiming that the technology would actually be featured on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. That rumor was never repeated, which makes it unlikely for Polar ID to appear on the 2026 flagships. Secondly, Polar ID is a real technology that has been around for years, and it would make sense to finally reach consumer devices. The system is developed by the Boston-based company Metalenz and is based on a technology called "optical metasurfaces." The company says that Polar ID is the only consumer-scale imaging system in the world that can sense the full polarization state of light. That ability allows Polar ID to capture the polarization signature of human faces, which is unique for every person. That extra layer of information turns it into an authentication system, which is allegedly more secure than Face ID. Metalenz claims that "even the most sophisticated 3D masks and spoof instruments are immediately detected as non-human." Metalenz announced a partnership with Qualcomm at the 2023 Snapdragon Summit. Then, during the Mobile World Congress in 2024, the company announced it would use Samsung's ISOCELL Vizion 931 sensor for Polar ID. Considering that partnership, it makes sense that the commercial launch of the technology happens on a flagship Samsung smartphone. Fixing Face ID's biggest downside. Apple introduced Face ID in 2017 with the iPhone X. Since then, many Android devices have started supporting face unlock, but none of them is as secure as the technology on the iPhone. The reason is that Apple uses a structured light transmitter to blast infrared light and create a 3D rendering of your face. That transmitter is relatively large, which is why even the iPhone 17 series has the chunky Dynamic Island. What do you prefer to have on your phone? High-security face unlock is enough
The Securities and Exchange Commission has not necessarily reviewed the information in this filing and has not determined if it is accurate and complete.The reader should not assume that the information is accurate and complete.
New York's 1Kosmos, which offers blockchain encrypted biometric authentication, has appointed Christine Owen in the newly created role of Field Chief Technology Officer.