Chinese Startup’s AI Mosquito Laser Surpasses Crowdfunding Goal by 130x

Photon Matrix Lab, a Changzhou-based startup, has developed a consumer-grade laser defense system targeting mosquitoes. The device, comparable in size to a smartphone, combines lidar and computer vision to identify and eliminate flying insects at speeds of up to 30 mosquitoes per second.

Backers on Indiegogo pledged approximately $630 per unit, propelling the campaign to raise over $2.6 million—130 times its initial $20,000 target. The system distinguishes mosquitoes from dust particles and sensor artifacts, with a targeting range extending to sand flies and fruit flies.

CTO Li Ran credits China's manufacturing ecosystem for the company's competitive edge, citing a two-week prototyping turnaround for high-precision fiber laser modules—a feat challenging to replicate in Silicon Valley due to supply chain constraints.