Latest news and insights

2024

26 March

Comprehensive roadmap to drive the integrated photonics industry forward unveiled

PhotonDelta and MIT Microphotonics Center’s roadmap initiative involves contributions from more than 400 organisations including Airbus, Meta, NASA, Dupont Electronics, General Motors, The European Space Agency and VodafoneZiggoIntegrated Photonics System Roadmap - International (IPSR-I) identifies key technology gaps that, if solved, enable integrated photonics to revolutionise industries including RF photonics (wireless communication), 3D imaging, datacom and sensingThe IPSR-I is a platform for a unified, global trust-based network of industrial and R&D partners to drive innovation and adoption of photonics.Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Massachusetts, USA; 25th March 2024: More than 400 technology, academic and industrial organisations from around the world have contributed to a new integrated photonics roadmap led by foundation PhotonDelta and the Microphotonics Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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15 February

Amazec Photonics secures €1.5 million Seed Round to develop new generation of circulatory and heart failure detection tech

PhotonDelta backs photonics medtech that creates minimally invasive and more accurate monitoring solutions for diagnosing the performance of circulatory and cardiovascular systemsOudkarspel, the Netherlands; 15 February 2024: Amazec Photonics, a photonics based medtech, has secured a €1.5 million Seed Round to develop its pioneering minimally invasive diagnosis devices.

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25 January

SMART Photonics scaling up to 4-inch wafer production that doubles the production capacity, realising a lower price per chip

Eindhoven, Nederland, 24 January 2024 – SMART Photonics, the Dutch photonic chipmaker, is taking an important step in becoming the leading foundry for next generation chips. The Dutch foundry has significantly scaled up its production of photonic chips by transferring its entire production capability from 3-inch to 4-inch wafer substrates. Confirming its technology leadership, SMART Photonics is one of the first Integrated Photonics Circuit (PIC) foundries offering 4-inch InP wafer production. The resulting doubling of production rate translates in a lower price per chip, accelerating the commercial roll out of the foundry’s photonic chips.

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2023

14 December

VitreaLab receives investment from PhotonVentures to ignite the future of outdoor Augmented Reality technology

VIENNA, Austria – December 14, 2023 – VitreaLab, a visionary laser technology innovator and University of Vienna Quantum Group spin-off, today unveiled its significant investment from PhotonVentures, a Dutch Venture Capital deep tech fund with a focus on integrated photonics. This alliance is set to catalyse a transformative leap in display technology, with VitreaLab at the forefront of a new era in AR and VR experiences.

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29 November

Brilliance secures seed investment from PhotonVentures and Oost NL to develop laser engines for Augmented Reality glasses

Enschede, the Netherlands - 29 November 2023. Enschede-based Brilliance builds and develops chips for laser projection applications in Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) glasses. Brilliance has developed a laser technology that offers a breakthrough for the current limitations of low resolution and high energy consumption by projecting very sharp, coulorful images onto glass surfaces such as eyeglass lenses and car windows. The €2 million investment from Oost NL and PhotonVentures underscores the confidence in Brilliance's innovative approach and enables the company to develop further.

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15 September

Photonics Startup SuperLight Photonics Secures Seed Funding in Investment Round with DeepTechXL and Oost NL

Enschede, September 14, 2023 – SuperLight Photonics, a spin-off from the University of Twente, is developing a wideband laser that can serve as a 'light source' in various measurement and detection applications. Today, the company announces the completion of a seed investment round. The round is led by Dutch Deep Tech investor DeepTechXL in collaboration with Oost NL. With this investment, SuperLight Photonics will further develop its platform technology into unique products and (sub)systems.

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14 September

PhotonDelta Partners With TU/e For Inaugural Netherlands-Taiwan Summer School

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) recently hosted academics and industry leaders from the Netherlands and Taiwan for a first-of-its-kind summer school focussed on advancing innovations in electronics and photonics. The event – Eindhoven Taiwan Summer School: Advancing Innovation In Semiconductor Electronics and Photonics – welcomed an impressive line-up of leading lights from both industries and nations, including representatives from PhotonDelta.

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12 September

Astrape Networks secures €1.6 million in pre-seed funding to develop photonics-powered ‘sustainable data center’

Eindhoven, The Netherlands; 12th September 2023 – Astrape Networks – an innovative tech startup that uses unique integrated photonics to build faster and more sustainable optical networks – has secured a pre-seed funding round of €1.6 million from a consortium of investors and loan providers, including Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM), Rabobank, Brabant Startup Fonds, TTT Smart Industries, Shift Invest and PhotonDelta.

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28 June

Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade & Development visits Holland Pavilion at Europe’s biggest Photonics Event

München, Germany - The Laser World of Photonics, the largest European photonics exhibition, received a distinguished visitor as the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, Liesje Schreinemacher, visited the Holland Pavilion. The event, taking place from 27 to 30 June, showcases the latest advancements in photonics technology and brings together leading experts from around the world.

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09 January

Dutch Consortium Invests €3.5 Million in LioniX International

Enschede, the Netherlands - A Dutch consortium led by Invest-NL and FORWARD.one, and further consisting of Universiteit Twente Holding, Oost NL and PhotonDelta, invests €3.5 million in the growth ambitions of LioniX International, an Enschede based global leader in customized microsystem and photonics solutions. The consortium sees her investment in LioniX International as an illustration of its strong commitment to further strengthening the Dutch Integrated Photonics and Deep Tech ecosystems in particular.

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2022

22 March

Quix Quantum Launches Record Breaking 20-Qumode Quantum Photonic Processor

QuiX Quantum, the market leader in photonic quantum computing hardware, today announced the commercial launch of the world’s largest photonic quantum processor. The processor was developed in the Netherlands and outperforms the current generation of processors by almost a factor of 2. The new quantum photonic processor has a record number of qumodes (20). It also has the highest operating specifications on the market. With this new product, QuiX Quantum continues to push the envelope of photonic quantum computing.

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EFFECT Photonics
16 March

EFFECT Photonics Acquires Coherent Optical Digital Signal Processing Business from Viasat

At the Optical Fiber Conference (OFC) 2022, EFFECT Photonics, a leading provider of highly integrated optical communication products is announcing that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire coherent optical digital signal processing (DSP) and forward error correction (FEC) technology as well as a highly experienced engineering team from global communications company, Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT).

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08 March

What Is a Photonic Biosensor and How Will It Change the Point-Of-Care Diagnostics Market?

Accurate and cost-effective biosensors are expected to play a crucial role in the roll-out of point of care testing. Point of care (PoC) testing is the practice of diagnosing patients at the point of need rather than sending samples to a remote specialised medical laboratory. PoC testing therefore reduces the cost of and the time taken in diagnosis. Integrated photonics technology offers a possible solution for developing genuine PoC diagnostic devices. 

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10 February

The Foundation Has Been Laid – Now the Dutch Photonics Sector Is Preparing for the Great Leap Forward

Faster, lighter, more durable, and ultimately also cheaper: the advantages of photonic circuits are considerable, for a wide range of applications. And the Netherlands plays an important global role in the development and application of this key technology. In recent years, partly due to the policies of the government, provinces, and Brainport, PhotonDelta has laid a solid foundation under the Dutch photonics ecosystem. Thanks to the work of the technical universities and institutions such as TNO and Imec, there is a strong knowledge base, specialization on two essential production platforms, and a supply chain that provides prototyping and initial production.

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2021

21 December

QuiX Will Deliver a Quantum Photonic Processor to a Hungarian Quantum Initiative

QuiX Quantum, the market leader in quantum photonic processors, will deliver a photonic quantum computing solution to the newly established Hungarian Quantum Information National Laboratory initiative. This device represents the fifth quantum photonic processor to leave the QuiX plant. “Quix Quantum’s systems are becoming the de-facto standard in photonic quantum computing” says Dr. Jelmer Renema, CTO of Quix Quantum.

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03 December

PhotonFirst successfully closes €11 million Series A funding

PhotonFirst International, a leading pioneer in integrated photonics sensing solutions for advanced applications, announced to have successfully closed its Series A funding. Jointly, their largest shareholder, Amsterdam-based private equity firm Active Capital Company, and new investor PhotonDelta have committed 11 million euros to fund the 5-year business plan of the company. The company, based in the Dutch cities of Eindhoven and Alkmaar, announced the steps in a press release.

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30 June

Bronkhorst and PHIX partner to enable volume manufacturing of sensors for mass flow controllers

Dutch photonics packaging foundry PHIX B.V. and Dutch flow meter/controller manufacturer Bronkhorst High-Tech B.V. have combined their expertise in a strategic partnership to enable manufacturing of thermal mass flow sensors using PHIX’s assembly know-how and technology. While Bronkhorst’s expertise is to develop a highly dedicated chip to measure flow in its mass flow meters and controllers, PHIX is servicing Bronkhorst with process development and contract manufacturing to manufacture these sensors in volume with the highest precision possible. This collaboration between the two companies enables the best of two worlds. Bronkhorst’s unique sensor development combined with PHIX’s flexible automated assembly services and process knowledge allows for a seamless scale-up to high volumes with an unpreceded accuracy and repeatability.

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26 May

International frontrunners in photonics research can work together on innovation

The Netherlands and Taiwan, both frontrunners in photonics research, join forces through a new cooperation programme. Photonics is a technology that is used in many products, such as cameras in mobile phones, the Internet and lighting. Joint research should lead to photonic innovations that contribute to economic opportunities for societal challenges such as climate change. NWO, together with the Taiwanese science funding agency, is making 3 million euro available and facilitating matchmaking activities to form consortia.

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15 April

5G Hub Eindhoven reveals: EFFECT Photonics and Vodafone start testing optical SoCs in mobile network

Earlier this week, during a visit by NLdigital, the industry association of the digital sector, the 5G Hub in Eindhoven announced that EFFECT Photonics and Vodafone have started testing the integration of so-called optical SoCs in the mobile network. This optical ‘System-on-Chip’ technology is expected to offer internet providers and users many advantages in the future. This includes less delay, higher capacity, but also improved network sustainability. These chips reduce the need for hardware and will significantly reduce both energy consumption and maintenance costs. Vodafone is the first telecom provider in the Netherlands to test this technology in the current network.

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16 March

InP on SiN photonic integrated circuits realized through wafer-scale micro-transfer printing

New H2020 project INSPIRE will revolutionize photonic integrated circuit technology by combining highest optoelectronic efficiencies in InP photonics and lowest optical loss in SiN photonics, in a single platform through wafer-scale micro-transfer printing technology.Major photonic integration platforms, i.e., silicon, silicon nitride (SiN) or indium phosphide (InP) based, are now mature and make their impact in the real world, for example by enabling our internet. The potential for wider impact in other fields, such as sensors, is clear.

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11 March

Effect photonics raises $37m to develop single-chip coherent optics and scale production

EFFECT Photonics announces the first close of its Series C round, co-led by Smile Invest together with existing investor Innovation Industries Fund, exactly one year after announcing the tape-out of its Manta full photonic integration coherent PIC. Smile Invest are joined by existing investors including Innovation Industries Fund, Photon Delta, btov Partners, Brabant Development Agency (BOM) and individual investors.

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25 February

PhotonDelta is making new partnerships to accelerate the PIC startup scene

Following the renowned incubator HighTechXL, PhotonDelta has recently entered into other fruitful cooperations with NLC, Philips Innovation Services and Lumo labs. The collaboration with experienced incubators, ventures builders and coaching service providers is of strategic importance to the Dutch integrated photonics ecosystem as successful startups will help to create new applications that can benefit from the technology.The most recent addition to PhotonDelta’s network of incubators is Tusholdings, which was officialy confirmed on January 12th. Tusholdings is a science & technology investment group, which has successfully built a global innovation service network with more than 300 incubators and science parks, covering more than 80 cities globally. Tuspark is Tusholdings’ platform to manage its science parks and offers incubation and investment services to high-tech enterprises.

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23 February

High-end technology supplier of products and systems Demcon joins PhotonDelta’s integrated photonics ecosystem

Recently, PhotonDelta signed a partner agreement with Demcon, a leading Dutch R&D partner for high-end technology with headquarters in Enschede and offices in Best, Delft, Groningen, Maastricht, Münster and Singapore. The addition of Demcon to PhotonDelta’s ecosystem will reinforce the Dutch integrated photonic systems supply-chain with their system-level design, development and engineering services across various markets, particularly in life sciences & health and high tech systems & materials.. In return, Demcon is able to benefit from the perks of being a PhotonDelta partner. These, amongst others, include facilitated access to a wide range of companies and knowledge institutes, funding possibilities and visibility created by the PhotonDelta cluster.

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28 January

Innovation support fund launched for SME uptake of photonic integration technology

The open innovation program OIP4NWE launches its innovation support fund to stimulate uptake of integrated photonics technology by SMEs. Seven SMEs will receive innovation support from the OIP4NWE consortium.By providing innovation support to SMEs across North-West Europe, OIP4NWE contributes to the competitiveness and innovativeness of European SMEs on the global markets. The pilot line has now launched its innovation support fund. Seven SMEs are eligible for receiving innovation support and working together with OIP4NWE’s partners in an open innovation framework to help mature their PIC-based products.

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2020

15 December

Start of Photonics Assembly Consortium: PODIUM

A unique ecosystem to accelerate and standardize the packaging of integrated photonics.Today Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC), Tegema, PI (Physik Instrumente) and PHIX released their new Photonics Assembly Consortium called PODIUM, funded by PhotonDelta and CITC. The name PODIUM refers to PIC Open Development Infrastructure for Universal Markets. The consortium runs a program in which optical termination technology, assembly and packaging is developed for a wide range of integrated photonic applications. As a Key Enabling Technology, photonics is the driver in many relevant innovations, for example data communication - saving lots of energy - and medical technology - saving lives.

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11 December

Quix introduces large-scale quantum photonic processor

QuiX, a photonic quantum technologies company, has demonstrated the world’s largest universal quantum photonic processor. The device is plug-and-play, compatible with all photon sources, and is commercially available. It was unveiled at a product presentation today.Quantum computing will revolutionize the way we process information. To bring this closer to real-world applications, QuiX has developed a photonic quantum processor – the device at the heart of an optical quantum computer.

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21 October

Photonics Digital Innovation Hub secures €19 million to boost SME growth and ensure EU jobs

PhotonHub Europe – a new pan-European photonics digital innovation hub –has been awarded €19 million investment from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. PhotonHub Europe will help European SMEs and mid-caps become highly competitive digital businesses through faster and smarter deployment of photonics-based technologies, directly creating over 1.000 new high-tech EU jobs and nearly €1 billion in new revenues and venture capital by 2025.

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08 October

Report: Equipment needs for efficient and reliable production of integrated photonics

Although many similarities seem to exist between semicon and photonic production, there are major differences. The availability of front-end and back-end production equipment tuned to their needs, will provide the photonics industry with the tools to efficiently and reliably produce photonic devices and systems. Equipment companies on the other hand, will be involved in the growing photonics industry and can prepare for the upcoming large global equipment market, a win-win situation.

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21 August

EFFECT Photonics secures additional funds to accelerate its growth

On Friday 7 August, EFFECT Photonics, a leading developer of high-performance dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) optical components based on its optical System-on-Chip technology, completed its Series-B funding with an additional 8 million Euro. The investment round, led by independent venture capital fund Innovation Industries, secured continued participation from btov partners, Innovatiefonds Brabant BV, Beek Capital and Optiverder BV, and attracted PhotonDelta as a new partner.

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30 June

SMART Photonics secures €35M new funding to accelerate growth for photonic chip manufacturing

SMART Photonics, the independent foundry for photonic integrated circuits, today announced a €35M Series C investment from a Dutch consortium led by Innovation Industries.The company, founded in 2012 and based at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, will use the funds to expand its capacity for wafer manufacturing, accelerate the development of its photonic integration technology and firmly establish the technology in the marketplace through its valued customers.

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11 May

Dutch industrial partners in integrated photonics collaborate on PICs in space

At the end of April, the Dutch consortia of the PhotonDelta Flagship project jointly kicked off the project. The project addresses the realization of a robust and versatile hybrid integrated photonics platform that provides scalable solutions for a suite of applications. Moreover, with two proven technology platforms within the Netherlands, InP and TriPleX, the PhotonDelta Flagship project demonstrates scalability to high-volume manufacturing aiming for space quality modules; the highest quality grade in industry. Hence, this project indirectly also supports several industry and application driven roadmaps.

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17 April

Subsidized innovation in photonics for EU-based companies

Photonics, or the manipulation of light by means of optical fibers and chips, has become a crucial technology in today’s society. High-speed internet, LCD and OLED screens, optical computer mouses and many sensors could not exist without photonics. Also in industry, photonics is gaining importance every day. Optical inspection enables reliable quality control, not only on completed products but also during the fabriation process. Dimensions, shapes and surface quality can be measured at nanometer resolution, and spectral techniques can identify material composition and contamination. Mechanical stress can be made visible using polarization, and infrared detection systems can see through materials which are opaque to the human eye.

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13 February

Visit Ambassador of Ireland

Last Thursday the Ambassador of Ireland, Mr. Kevin Kelly, along with leaders from its two most important trade organizations, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, visited the Brainport region. PhotonDelta presented its strategy and its integrated photonics supply chain. In addition to that, the Irish visitors experienced a tour around Philips Innovation Centre and presentations from EIT Digital, EIT Health and HighTechXL. The meeting was a first introduction to each other’s strengths and interests. The aim of the visit was a to explore whether Ireland and the Netherlands, in particular the Brainport region, can connect in terms of innovation and trade. The discussion lead to enough mutual interest and eagerness to connect PhotonDelta, the Dutch integrated photonics cluster, to companies in Ireland, primarily those active in the medical and, growing, automotive segment,to further explore options for concrete co-operations.

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2019

11 October

Overview IPSR-I 2020 released

The Integrated Photonics Systems Roadmap – International 2020 overview, a joint initiative of AIM academy and PhotonDelta, has been released on 10-10-2019. The objective of the IPSR-I is to establish and sustain a trust based global network of Industrial and R&D partners, who are working together on defining and creating future Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) and Systems Technology and Systems Requirements. They jointly enable faster technology and application developments in this emerging business, guided by an up-to-date technology and application roadmap for future developments.

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