Netherlands Integrated Photonics Ecological Platform Raises € 60 million to Support European Photonics Startups

PhotonVentures, based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, has announced the launch of a venture capital fund designed to help early-stage photonic chip startups and scale-up businesses.

In the first round of funding, PhotonDelta, a Dutch photonic integrated circuit (PIC) pioneer, raised €60 million as the lead investor and numerous private investors. PhotonVentures said it plans to raise a total of €100 million to €150 million, with a final deadline of early 2024. It will prioritize Series A funding, aiming to provide investments of €1 million to €2.5 million.

PhotonVentures' investment strategy leverage the PhotonDelta ecosystem in the Netherlands to accelerate European startups and scale.

PhotonVentures is an independent deep technology venture capital firm born out of PhotonDelta, the pioneering force behind the integrated photonics ecosystem in the Netherlands. The two organizations are strategic partners that aim to support the rapid development of the optoelectronics industry in Europe. The fund plans to initially invest in 15 European hard tech companies that have the potential to grow into international winners in their respective fields. Startups should have an integrated photonic based MVP connected to the European ecosystem.

Major investment

Founded in 2014, PhotonDelta has made significant investments in optoelectronics companies and research and development over the past 5 years. By supporting this fund, PhotonDelta is one step closer to its goal of establishing a world-leading integrated photonics industry in the Netherlands and Europe.

Last year PhotonDelta received 1.1 billion euros in public and private investment to scale up production, establish 200 startups, create new applications for photonic chips, and develop infrastructure and talent.

PhotonDelta became a lead investor in the fund by transferring its portfolio to PhotonVentures. The PhotonVentures Board of directors is composed of Joachim de Sterke, Pieter Klinkert and Rijkman Groenink.

de Sterke, general partner at PhotonVentures, commented: "There are hundreds of very promising startups and scale-ups driving the development and adoption of photonic chips that require investment and support to take the next step." "PhotonVentures fulfills this need and is the only fund directly targeting photonic chip startups and scaling up. We aim to play an important role in making Europe a global leader in integrated photonics. We will continue to grow our fund, allowing us to invest in dozens of startups in the coming years."

Rene Penning de Vries, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PhotonDelta, said: "The integrated optoelectronics industry is growing rapidly, but there is a lack of investors with the knowledge and funding to support the industry's ambitions. By transferring its existing portfolio, PhotonDelta was able to leverage its assets to attract additional funding and kick-start the creation of PhotonVentures."

Source: OFweek