Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

Laser Focus World is part of Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of photonics. Our weekly episodes feature interviews and discussions with industry and research experts, providing valuable perspectives on the issues, technologies, and trends shaping the photonics community.

Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

3 Cash-Burning Stocks Walking a Fine Line

BASE Cover Image

While some companies burn cash to fuel expansion, others struggle to turn spending into sustainable growth. A high cash burn rate without a strong balance sheet can leave investors exposed to significant downside.

Negative cash flow can lead to trouble, but StockStory helps you identify the businesses that stand a chance of making it through. That said, here are three cash-burning companies to avoid and some better opportunities instead.

Couchbase (BASE)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: -12.7%

Formed in 2011 with the merger of Membase and CouchOne, Couchbase (NASDAQ: BASE) is a database-as-a-service platform that allows enterprises to store large volumes of semi-structured data.

Why Is BASE Not Exciting?

  1. Offerings struggled to generate meaningful interest as its average billings growth of 6.6% over the last year did not impress
  2. Competitive market means the company must spend more on sales and marketing to stand out even if the return on investment is low
  3. Cash burn makes us question whether it can achieve sustainable long-term growth

Couchbase is trading at $24.43 per share, or 5.5x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than BASE.

LGI Homes (LGIH)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: -8.2%

Based in Texas, LGI Homes (NASDAQ: LGIH) is a homebuilding company specializing in constructing affordable, entry-level single-family homes in desirable communities across the United States.

Why Do We Steer Clear of LGIH?

  1. Sales pipeline suggests its future revenue growth likely won’t meet our standards as its backlog hasn’t budged over the past two years
  2. Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability
  3. Limited cash reserves may force the company to seek unfavorable financing terms that could dilute shareholders

LGI Homes’s stock price of $51.52 implies a valuation ratio of 6.7x forward P/E. If you’re considering LGIH for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

SoundHound AI (SOUN)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: -104%

Founded in 2005, SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) develops independent voice artificial intelligence solutions that enable businesses across various industries to offer customized conversational experiences to consumers.

Why Does SOUN Give Us Pause?

  1. Gross margin of 44.1% is way below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D
  2. Efficiency fell over the last year as its operating margin declined by 39 percentage points because it pursued growth instead of profits
  3. Cash-burning history makes us doubt the long-term viability of its business model

At $10.75 per share, SoundHound AI trades at 27.1x forward price-to-sales. To fully understand why you should be careful with SOUN, check out our full research report (it’s free).

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth.

While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we’re leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today

Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.