Eindhoven-based Photon Bridge has raised 10 million euros to develop lasers that can be made at large scale for links inside artificial intelligence data centres. The round was co-led by the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund and 360 Capital, with existing investors also increasing their stakes. Its technology combines light from several lower-power lasers instead of a few very powerful ones, in order to improve manufacturing yield. First samples are expected in 2027 and volume production from 2028.
What it means: As clusters of AI processors grow to hundreds of thousands of chips, moving data between them becomes as important as compute itself. Optical links are moving ever closer to the chips, which creates demand for millions of lasers a year, while today's supply chain was designed for the much smaller volumes of telecoms. Photon Bridge's approach focuses on manufacturing yield, meaning how many parts come out right, which is the crucial point when a component turns into a mass-market product. For Europe, the funding strengthens a field where the Netherlands has a strong base in Eindhoven photonics and can offer an alternative to Asian suppliers. Greece also has research groups in photonics and optical networks, so companies like this are possible partners for universities and spin-offs. The amount is small compared with the industry's needs, so success will depend on whether the 2027 samples convince large customers to design them into their systems.
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