Eindhoven-based Photon Bridge, a photonics startup developing laser sources for AI data centers, has raised €10 million in a funding round co-led by Amadeus APEX Technology Fund and 360 Capital, with participation from existing investors Innovation Industries, Faber, and Brabant Development Agency (BOM), as Vestbee was told.
- Launched in 2020 by Rui Santos and Xaveer Leijtens to address the growing demand for optical connectivity in AI infrastructure, Photon Bridge develops multi-wavelength laser-source technology designed to support high-speed data transmission between AI processors.
- As AI clusters expand, optical connections are moving closer to processors to handle increasing data traffic. This shift, driven in part by the emergence of co-packaged optics, is expected to increase demand for laser sources that can be manufactured at semiconductor scale.
- Photon Bridge's technology combines light from multiple lower-power semiconductor lasers to deliver the optical power required by next-generation optical interconnects. The approach is designed to improve manufacturing yields and support production across multiple indium phosphide (InP) foundries.
Details of the deal
- The fresh capital will support further product development, customer qualification, and the delivery of first samples in 2027, as the company prepares for volume manufacturing from 2028. Photon Bridge also plans to expand its team in Eindhoven.
- The investment comes as demand for optical networking infrastructure grows alongside the expansion of AI computing systems. Goldman Sachs Research projects that the addressable market for optical networking could reach $154 billion by 2028, driven by rising computing power and the deployment of AI data centers.
