Lightium secures USD 7M to boost production of TFLN photonic chips for AI-driven data centers
19.09.2024
Lightium, a pioneer in Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) photonic technology, has secured USD 7 million in Seed funding to ramp up the commercial production of its photonic integrated circuits (PICs). As data center demand skyrockets with the rise of AI applications, this funding will fast-track Lightium’s industrial-scale foundry services, positioning the company at the forefront of next-gen data transmission technology.
 Lightium's team
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The rise of AI and products like ChatGPT is driving massive data growth and energy consumption. By 2030, data centers will handle 100x more data and could consume up to 10% of global electricity—currently on par with Japan’s usage, making them the 5th largest energy consumer worldwide.
Data centers rely on clusters of CPUs, GPUs, and optical interconnects to transmit data quickly. While Nvidia has advanced GPU power, optical interconnects remain a bottleneck, with semiconductor-based solutions struggling to meet speeds beyond 800 Gb/s.
Lightium addresses this issue by offering commercial-scale TFLN chip foundry services. TFLN, a glass-like material, boosts data transmission to 1.6 or 3.2 Tb/s while lowering power consumption. Although TFLN has been limited to academic R&D, Lightium’s proprietary process enables volume production, unlocking its potential for markets like satellite communication, quantum computing, and LIDAR.
The Engineering startup plans to expand its manufacturing, optimize its Process Design Kit (PDK), and grow partnerships ahead of a 2025 launch. Currently, in closed beta, the company is also recruiting to support its growth.
Lightium won Venture Kick in 2024.
Lightium's team
Data centers rely on clusters of CPUs, GPUs, and optical interconnects to transmit data quickly. While Nvidia has advanced GPU power, optical interconnects remain a bottleneck, with semiconductor-based solutions struggling to meet speeds beyond 800 Gb/s.
Lightium addresses this issue by offering commercial-scale TFLN chip foundry services. TFLN, a glass-like material, boosts data transmission to 1.6 or 3.2 Tb/s while lowering power consumption. Although TFLN has been limited to academic R&D, Lightium’s proprietary process enables volume production, unlocking its potential for markets like satellite communication, quantum computing, and LIDAR.
The Engineering startup plans to expand its manufacturing, optimize its Process Design Kit (PDK), and grow partnerships ahead of a 2025 launch. Currently, in closed beta, the company is also recruiting to support its growth.
Lightium won Venture Kick in 2024.
Lightium's team