The assembly of hybrid nanophotonic devices from different fundamental photonic entities-such as single molecules, nanocrystals, semiconductor quantum dots, nanowires and metal nanoparticles-can yield functionalities that exceed those of the individual subunits. Combining these photonic elements requires nanometre-scale fabrication precision and potentially involves a material diversity that is incompatible with standard nanotechnological processes. Although merging these different systems on a single hybrid platform is at present challenging, it promises improved performance and novel devices. Particularly rapid progress is seen in the combination of plasmonic-dielectric constituents with quantum emitters that can be assembled on demand into fundamental model systems for future optical elements.