From Physics to Finance: How Anna Pogrebna Financed the Scale-up Behind Menhir Photonics’ Success

Five years ago, Anna joined a company at a pivotal moment – exceptional technical talent, early product success and great vision, but still in the process of building the organizational structure required for scale.

Today, as CFO & Strategy Manager, she also became a later-stage co-founder, reflecting her role in building that foundation, securing significant funding, establishing strategic partnerships across telecommunications, quantum computing, and space applications, and positioning Menhir Photonics as a trusted collaborator for some of the world’s most ambitious technology programs.

Her journey from PhD physicist to deep-tech strategy leader isn’t just about acquiring new skills. It’s about finding a rare intersection where technical understanding meets strategic vision and using that combination to build something transformative.

“I worked with ultrafast lasers for quite some years, did postdocs in physics in many labs, and I was quite good technically,” Anna recalls. “I enjoyed it, but it was never enough for me. I always felt like I wanted to feel more impact. I wanted to work with people more directly.”

That desire for broader impact manifested early. Throughout her scientific career, Anna volunteered for ecological organizations, served as Strategy Manager in her postdoc association, and organized workshops and conferences focused on women in science. She was searching for a role that could fulfill everything, her passion for technology and innovation, combined with the ability to see direct impact and work with people organizationally.

When she joined Menhir Photonics, she found exactly that.

The Rare Combination That Brings Scalability

Anna holds both a PhD in physics and a master’s degree in finance and international affairs.

That unique background has proven transformative for Menhir Photonics. “It helps me not only to understand the deep-tech innovation we are developing, but also to translate it into a clear and compelling business case. I can explain the product to all investors, banks, and stakeholders in simple language.”

When Anna joined, she could have taken a technical role: she had a job offer from another laser company to be their lead engineer. But it was an intentional choice not to. “With trust from Florian and Beni, I could try myself in many things. At the beginning, I worked across HR, marketing, sales, finance, helping build the structure of the company while finding where I could create the most impact.”

What she discovered was that her combination of technical understanding and finance created something needed by the company: someone who could translate the technical work and vision of the company into an explainable and financially exciting business opportunity.

Building the Financial Foundation for Scale

Anna’s impact on the company’s trajectory has been substantial. She’s been instrumental in raising significant public funding, enough not just to support innovation but to build physical infrastructure, including Menhir Photonics’ new production facility. “Large part of my work is still securing non-dilutive funding,”

Her approach to financing reflects a strategic philosophy: maintaining independence while enabling aggressive growth. Through a combination of public grants, private funding, and strategic partnerships, Anna has structured the business’s financial path to support both technical excellence and commercial scalability.

But her role extends far beyond traditional CFO responsibilities. “My day can be full of meetings, coordinating, taking decisions, and communicating internally, because I manage a team, but mostly I talk to external parties,” Anna explains. “Most of my work is directed outside of the company: creating relationships, doing lobbying, doing high-level market research, applying for funding.”

That external focus is deliberate. Anna’s work involves thinking five to ten years ahead, imagining how today’s technology will evolve and how Menhir Photonics’ innovations will fit into future markets.

Collaborative Innovation: Building the Future Through Partnerships

One of Anna’s most significant contributions has been scaling the firm’s approach to collaborative R&D, application-oriented grants and partnerships that keep the company close to real-world problems while co-developing solutions with future customers.

“One of our challenges is educating the world about our solution,” Anna explains. “We do this not just by talking, but by partnering with leading players across industries—co-developing solutions that become integral to next-generation telecom, quantum, space, radar, and security systems. “

The results speak to both the ambition and the execution of this strategy. Menhir Photonics has collaborated with British Telecom to create a demonstrator of ultra-precise timing synchronization between two sites, 200 kilometers between Ipswich and London. They’re working with Orange and Ericsson on possible architectures for 6G networks. They’ve partnered with quantum technology companies, including UK-based Aegiq, on cutting-edge quantum applications.

This approach does more than generate revenue or prove technical concepts. It ensures that the business’s innovations aren’t developed in isolation but are shaped by real application needs.

For organizations considering collaborations in precision timing, quantum-enabled systems, or next-generation telecommunications: Anna is the person to contact. Her ability to structure partnerships that align technical innovation with commercial reality has made Menhir Photonics an ideal R&D collaborator across sectors.

Thinking Five Years Ahead

Asked where she sees Menhir Photonics in five years, Anna’s response is characteristically bold: “I believe we will become the leading supplier in the world of precision devices that will enable a completely new generation of timing synchronization in telecoms, or new generation of quantum computing or photonic based microwave system or communication standards.”

But her vision extends beyond market leadership. “We will redefine how laser companies are imagined. When people think of ultrafast lasers now, they think of laboratory research or medical applications. I think we can change that and make a revolution in optoelectronics, making high-frequency lasers core of future advanced digital infrastructure.”

Values, Integrity, and the Human Side

That integrity extends to how she views her role in the industry. “I’m really proud to be part of such a diverse and inclusive environment,” Anna says. As the second woman to join Menhir Photonics’, and now part of leadership team, she’s seen firsthand how the company prioritizes quality and capability in every hire. Menhir Photonics has prioritized diversity from the beginning, with women representing approximately 25–30% of the team.

Her advice to women considering careers in science or technology is direct: “Be brave. Believe in yourself. Follow your passion. No one else has the right to define what you can or cannot become.”

About Anna Pogrebna

Anna Pogrebna is CFO, Strategy Manager, and later-stage co-founder at Menhir Photonics. She holds a PhD in physics and a master’s degree in finance and international affairs. Before joining the business, she conducted research in ultrafast lasers across multiple laboratories and served in leadership roles within academic organizations. She leads Menhir Photonics’ financial strategy, fundraising efforts, and collaborative R&D partnerships.

Interested in collaborating with Menhir Photonics?

For organizations looking to bridge the gap between quantum research, microwave photonics and industrial-grade telecommunications, Anna serves as the strategic gateway to Menhir Photonics’ capabilities.