Luminar Receives $33M Bid for Lidar Business as Bankruptcy Auction Concludes

Luminar has received a higher offer for its lidar unit as a court-supervised auction wrapped up on Monday, according to a new filing in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings.

MicroVision, a lidar developer based in Redmond, Washington, submitted a $33 million bid, surpassing the earlier $22 million offer from Quantum Computing Inc., which had been named the initial “stalking horse” bidder. Quantum Computing Inc. later increased its bid to $28 million but did not go beyond that amount.

In a statement released Tuesday, MicroVision said it plans to acquire Luminar’s intellectual property and inventory tied to its Iris and Halo lidar sensors, along with key engineering and operations staff, as well as specific commercial contracts and outstanding orders.

“It’s no secret that the lidar market has been ripe for disruption and in need of further consolidation,” said MicroVision CEO Glen DeVos. He added that the acquisition, combined with MicroVision’s background in automotive and defence technologies, positions the company to accelerate the commercial adoption of lidar and improve road safety.

The proposed sale of Luminar’s lidar business is now subject to approval by the bankruptcy court. A hearing on the transaction is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

It remains unclear whether Luminar founder and former CEO Austin Russell submitted a competing bid for the lidar assets. Russell, through his new venture Russell AI Labs, attempted to acquire the entire company in October 2025 before Luminar entered bankruptcy and had indicated interest in bidding during the bankruptcy process. Representatives for Russell did not respond to requests for comment.

Russell and Luminar have spent much of the bankruptcy case engaged in a dispute over a subpoena. Luminar has said it is still considering potential legal action related to Russell’s resignation last May, which followed an ethics investigation led by the company’s board. While Russell turned over his computers, he initially retained his phone, requesting assurances that his personal data would be protected. Luminar accused him of evading the subpoena.

Last week, Russell agreed to comply with the subpoena. Over the weekend, he and Luminar filed a joint motion outlining the terms of a protective order governing the handling of his personal information.

If the sale of the lidar assets is approved, it could bring Luminar’s bankruptcy process to a relatively quick close. The company filed for bankruptcy in December and has already agreed to sell its semiconductor-focused business unit to Quantum Computing Inc. for $110 million.

This story has been updated to include a statement from MicroVision.