Continuous-wave operation, to as high as 7 degrees C, of 1.5-microm optically pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers is reported. The epitaxial structure, monolithically grown on InP by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, consists of an InAlAs/GaInAlAs Bragg reflector, an InGaAs/InGaAsP active region, and an InP capping layer. The threshold incident pump intensity is <9 kW/cm2.