Luminar received the higher bid its lidar business as the court-run auction ends there, according to new filing in case of bankruptcy of the company.
MicroVision, a Redmond, Washington company that has developed its own lidar sensors, submitted a $33 million bid, surpassing its $22 million bid Quantum Computing Inc a few weeks ago as the so-called “horse stalking” bidder. (Quantum Computing Inc. has raised its bid to $28 million but is apparently unwilling or unable to go higher.)
In a statement, MicroVision said Tuesday that it acquired “IP and inventory related to the Iris and Halo lidar sensors, key engineering and operations talent, and certain commercial contracts and orders.”
“It’s no secret that the lidar market is ripe for disruption and in need of further consolidation,” said MicroVision CEO Glen DeVos. “Building on proven executive leadership in automotive, a history of developing and delivering products in defense, and now a technologically diverse portfolio of lidar sensors and advanced perception solutions, we believe MicroVision is poised to elevate the industry, enabling widespread commercial adoption and increased security.”
The sale of Luminar’s lidar business is now subject to a judge’s approval in the bankruptcy case. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
It’s unclear if Luminar founder and former CEO Austin Russell submitted a bid for the company’s lidar assets. Russell, through its new venture Russell AI Labs, trying to buy the company immediately in October 2025 before filing for bankruptcy, and he expressed interest in making an offer during the bankruptcy process. A representative for Russell did not respond to a request for comment.
That said, Russell and Luminar spent the first month of the bankruptcy case fighting over subpoenas. The company said it was still evaluating whether to take legal action against Russell, in connection with his resignation last May, which followed an ethics investigation by the board. When Russell had turned in his computer for Luminar, he had put his phone on hold until he received assurances from the company that personal information on the device would be protected. Luminar accused him avoid subpoenas.
Russell finally agreed to accept the subpoena last week. Over the weekend, he and Luminar made a joint filing in court regarding the terms of a protective order regarding personal information.
If the sale of lidar assets goes through, it can bring an end to Luminar’s bankruptcy case, which was filed in December. The company has reached an agreement to sell another business division, centered on semiconductors, to Quantum Computing Inc. for $110 million.
This story has been updated with a statement from MicroVision.