OpenLight Secures $34M Series A Funding to Scale Integrated Photonics for AI Data Centers.

OpenLight, a photonic chip designer and manufacturer, has raised $34m in Series A funding to scale its integrated photonics technology for AI data centers. The round was co-led by Xora Innovation and Capricorn Investment Group, and will be used to expand its product library, ramp up reference PICs, and scale its team. OpenLight's technology is emerging as a core enabler of next-generation data-center infrastructure, with applications in telecom, automotive, and industrial sensing, IoT sensing, healthcare, and quantum computing.

OpenLight, a leading designer and manufacturer of photonic chips, has raised $34 million in Series A funding. The round was co-led by Xora Innovation and Capricorn Investment Group, marking a significant milestone for the company as it transitions from a Synopsys subsidiary to a high-velocity, venture-backed entity [1][2].

The funding will be used to expand OpenLight's product library, accelerate the development of reference photonic integrated circuits (PIC), and scale its team. The company's technology is positioned to address the growing demand for faster and more energy-efficient data movement in AI data center networks. As the shift from electrical to optical interconnects accelerates, integrated photonics is emerging as a core enabler of next-generation data center infrastructure [1][2].

OpenLight's Process Design Kit (PDK) provides customers with access to a library of passive and active components, including integrated lasers, modulators, amplifiers, and detectors. This PDK has been validated at leading photonics foundries, ensuring that designs are production-ready from day one. The company currently holds over 360 patents covering its PDK and the manufacturing of heterogeneously integrated III-V photonics [1][2].

The new capital injection will enable OpenLight to expand its PDK library, ramp up the production of reference PICs at 1.6Tb/s and 3.2Tb/s, and scale its team to support customers as they transition to volume production. The company's technology has applications beyond AI data centers, including telecom, automotive, and industrial sensing, IoT sensing, healthcare, and quantum computing [1][2].

"As we enter this next phase of our company's growth, we are excited to be adding such strong investors with deep roots and expertise in the semiconductor and photonics industry," said Dr. Adam Carter, CEO of OpenLight. "With this strong syndicate of investors, we can push the boundaries of innovation and deliver transformative solutions to our customers. This funding will allow us to scale our operations, deepen our R&D efforts, and bring our groundbreaking products to market faster" [1][2].

References:
[1] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/openlight-raises-34m-series-a-to-scale-next-gen-integrated-photonics-for-ai-data-centers-302538310.html
[2] https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20250826sf58822/openlight-raises-34m-series-a-to-scale-next-gen-integrated-photonics-for-ai-data-centers