“It allows a star’s deviation to be hidden within nanometer-level precision; it permits the calibration of instrument gaps, even humming a slightly off-key tune. This beam of light does not inquire about the destination—it only illuminates all the prisms of your focus, seriousness, and passion.” As you step into Hubei TrueLight 3D Sensing Technology Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “TrueLight 3D”), this passage in the elevator lobby is both romantic and transparent.

Only upon meeting the founder, Li Min, did one realize that these words perfectly capture his entrepreneurial journey: while others chase quick wins and hot trends, he immerses himself in the nanoscale world; when the industry habitually follows the crowd, he boldly forges ahead on uncharted paths, steadfastly focusing on “making mirrors.”

Confocal 3D Microscope (Photo provided by the company)

This nanoscale inspection device is the world’s first commercially available product to employ “area-array optics plus confocal imaging” technology. What once took two hours to complete—chip inspection—is now accomplished in just one minute, representing a hundredfold increase in efficiency.

It is precisely this robust, cutting-edge capability that enabled Li Min to clinch first place at the 3551 International Entrepreneurship Competition in China’s Optics Valley, emerging as a standout dark horse on the stage.

Li Min delivered a pitch at the 3551 Startup Competition.

Abandon the follower paradigm:

Becoming the “Sharp Eyes” of China’s High-End Testing

What many people don’t realize is that Li Min, who today is so committed to microscopic precision, first became drawn to optics because of a romantic fascination with the world of light and shadow during her youth.

Yet once he entered the industry, that romantic vision was swiftly shattered by harsh reality. Over years of study and professional experience, he has witnessed firsthand the sector’s most pressing challenges: high-end, precision inspection equipment has long been monopolized by foreign firms, leaving factory workers to rely on the naked eye for repeated, painstaking inspections—a grueling, high-intensity task that takes a severe toll on their eyesight. Meanwhile, domestic equipment remains severely underdeveloped, imposing constraints at every turn and hampering the entire industrial chain.

At that very moment, a firm resolve took root in my heart: we must develop domestically produced automated inspection equipment to free industry professionals from grueling manual labor.

Workplace scene (photo provided by the company)

When he embarked on his second entrepreneurial venture in Shenzhen, he led his team in bringing 3D camera products to market, quickly establishing themselves among the top tier of domestic players. Yet beneath the surface of this success, he was the first to spot the trap: the products’ precision topped out at just over 10 microns, far short of the critical thresholds required for breakthroughs in semiconductors and AI computing power. Determined to break free from the vicious cycle of homogenized competition, he declared: “If we stick to commodity-level technology, we’ll only end up locked in endless internal rivalry. If we’re going to compete, we must focus on core hard-tech that no one else can deliver.”

The turning point came unexpectedly, and the decision was made decisively. During a technical exchange, he met Professor Liu Xiaojun from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, whose fundamental innovations in confocal imaging technology perfectly aligned with his obsession with pursuing ultimate precision. Without much hesitation, Li Min gave up his well-established career in Shenzhen and resolutely returned to Optics Valley to found TrueLight 3D Sensing.

“While others rely on hardware to achieve precision, we leverage AI to create our competitive edge,” said Li Min. His team has abandoned conventional approaches, using AI algorithms to circumvent the foreign monopoly on high-precision hardware. By employing AI to reduce image data and offset system errors, and pairing this with a self-developed edge-computing supercomputing card, they have completely broken free from reliance on foreign chips. Rather than following the beaten path, they have instead seized an opportunity to leapfrog ahead.

On the global stage, Li Min is the only Chinese member of the team that has successfully commercialized confocal imaging technology.

Competing on the same stage without falling behind:

Entering the global computing power chip industry chain

Mature, in-house-developed technology does not automatically translate into market acceptance; the real test is only just beginning. The industry consensus is that NVIDIA’s top-tier computing-power supply chain operates under standards so stringent they verge on being draconian.

In 2024, thanks to an alumnus referral, Li Min’s team established contact with a core NVIDIA supplier—only to be met with a blunt question: “Can domestically produced equipment achieve nanometer-level precision? And can it be seamlessly integrated into production lines?”

No one was willing to put their trust in a homegrown dark horse that had suddenly emerged on the scene. “Give us a chance—let our product do the talking,” Li Min said, declining further explanation and instead leading his team straight to the factory for on-site testing. They stayed there for more than a year: “As soon as we got a call in the middle of the night about joint commissioning on the production line, the team would immediately head out from the hotel next to the plant and rush to the line.”

Workplace scene (photo provided by the company)

In the end, domestically produced equipment delivered outstanding results: its accuracy rivals that of imported counterparts, and inspection time has been slashed from two hours to just one minute, boosting efficiency by more than a hundredfold. A customer remarked with genuine admiration: “I never imagined that a Chinese company could develop such high-quality products.”

Today, the product has successfully entered NVIDIA’s core supply chain, providing inspection support for its AI infrastructure production lines; following the delivery of the first unit, the customer has subsequently placed additional orders.

NVIDIA’s recognition quickly made the name TrueLight 3D Sensing known throughout the industry. This recognition served as a stepping stone for TrueLight 3D Sensing to enter the industry.

Soon after, another Tier-1 supplier of an international industry giant proactively reached out, bringing confidential samples and traveling across regions to Wuhan to initiate multiple rounds of comparative testing—simultaneously benchmarking TrueLight 3D Sensing equipment against numerous top-tier inspection instruments worldwide and rigorously conducting repeated trials under various operating conditions.

Under rigorous evaluation throughout the process, TrueLight 3D Sensing stood out with its strong adaptability and detection efficiency, ultimately becoming the partner of choice. Currently, its products are being supplied to factories in Vietnam, South Korea, and various locations across China, continuously supporting the yield improvement of high-end chip production lines.

Entering the core lithography process:

Breaking the Chip Shortage Impasse

In the semiconductor industry chain, photomasks are a critical bottleneck in the lithography process, where even the tiniest errors can have far-reaching consequences. For a long time, core inspection equipment has been firmly controlled by overseas firms, a well-known weakness in the industry and a challenge widely regarded as unsolvable. Most companies in the sector have been reluctant to tackle this issue: the barriers to entry are too high, and the required investment is substantial.

TrueLight 3D Sensing has once again made a strategic move by recently securing China’s first order for 3D inspection of mask blanks, marking the first time that domestically produced equipment has entered the core lithography process and breaking the deadlock of overseas monopoly.

In Li Min’s view, the tides of our times are giving rise to new tensions: AI is advancing at breakneck speed, chips are becoming ever smaller and more complex in structure, and the difficulty of detection is mounting exponentially. While many companies feel the pressure mounting sharply, he sees opportunity in it. It’s just like that elevator slogan: “This beam of light never asks about the destination—it focuses solely on the present.” While others fret over the changing landscape, he stays laser-focused on what he can control.

Product Application Scenarios (Photo provided by the company)

“The more AI computing power is upgraded, the more advanced the chip manufacturing process becomes, and the more complex the packaging technology grows—this in turn places ever-higher demands on inspection accuracy and efficiency. Each new generation of technology gives rise to a corresponding generation of equipment; this is an irreversible industrial rule,” Li Min explained vividly. “Today’s inspection equipment is like moving from reading a flat painting to deciphering a meticulously crafted miniature city—the ‘eyes’ must see deeper, finer, and more comprehensively.”

The company’s growth has been accelerating steadily, with first-quarter orders for 2026 already surpassing last year’s full-year total. “From VR-glass wafer-level glass substrates to semiconductor chip micrometer-scale MEMS smart sensor production lines—we are precisely targeting the new production lines of leading enterprises. When they venture into uncharted territory, we stand by their side, wielding a discerning eye to refine the next generation of ‘blockbuster’ products.” Li Min’s eyes brimmed with confidence: from semiconductor mask blanks to AI chips, from optical modules to next-generation consumer electronics—wherever precision manufacturing is required, there lies market opportunity for the company. “Wherever the industrial chain evolves, our inspection technology will secure its position. This vast blue ocean has only just begun to unfold.”

Looking back at the elevator lobby once more, we come to understand Li Min’s “poetic” ethos: to embrace the possibility of deviation in the process of exploration, while always maintaining passion and a relentless commitment to authenticity. Rooted in the tiniest of spaces, we proceed with steady, unhurried steps, without dwelling on the path ahead—because, inevitably, our efforts will resonate.

Interviews with Individuals —

Question: In 2024, the company faced a severe cash-flow crunch, and the team’s salaries were cut in half for six months. During that most challenging period, what kept you going and prevented you from giving up?

Answer: To be honest, at the time I wasn’t dwelling on grand theories—I just had an unyielding determination. My team included longtime colleagues who had returned with me from Shenzhen as well as recent graduates. Everyone agreed to take pay cuts alongside me; no one quit. I couldn’t let all their hard work go to waste. What’s more, I was absolutely convinced that if we succeeded in cracking this tough challenge, the result would be something truly unmatched—something that could leave foreign equipment far behind. That confidence kept us going. And in the Optics Valley startup community, many entrepreneurs blazing new trails were also holding firm. Seeing everyone around me persevere, I simply had no reason to slack off.

Question: What do being included in the top international supply chains, such as NVIDIA’s, mean for TrueLight 3D Sensing and China’s high-end inspection equipment industry, respectively?

Answer: For TrueLight 3D Sensing, this is the highest recognition of our product strength by the market, which also gives us greater confidence to continue to deepen our core technology. For China’s high-end inspection equipment industry, this proves the innovation capability of Chinese science and technology enterprises in the field of high-end manufacturing. In the past, foreign companies always had prejudices against China’s inspection technology, but we have proven with our products that Chinese companies can create products with higher precision, faster efficiency, and better alignment with market needs.

Question: As a talent under the Optics Valley 3551 Program who has been rooted in Optics Valley and building a business here for many years, what kind of fertile ground for science and technology innovation do you see Optics Valley as?

Answer: Optics Valley is a place where tech entrepreneurs can focus entirely on their work. The local industrial ecosystem is highly developed, with a robust pool of talent, a complete supply chain, and abundant research resources in the optoelectronics sector. If you’re committed to advancing technology, you can collaborate with world-class research teams; if you aim to commercialize your innovations, you’ll find well-equipped contract manufacturers ready to support you. Even more importantly, Optics Valley boasts a remarkably pure and authentic culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs and business leaders here are grounded and dedicated, supporting one another and helping each other succeed—a rare and precious atmosphere. Optics Valley is not merely a geographic location; it is the dream haven for all hardcore innovators and tech pioneers.

Talent Work Bureau of East Lake High-tech Zone × Yangtze River Finance AIGC Innovation Studio

Co-produced