Zurich-based Lightium Raises $7M (€6.2M) to Develop Photonic Chips for Data Centers

Sep 19, 2024, 08:03 AM

Zurich-based Swiss startup Lightium has raised $7 million (€6.2 million) in seed funding to develop and mass-produce thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chips. These advanced chips aim to enhance the performance of data centers, which are facing increasing energy consumption due to the AI boom. Data centers currently consume about 2% of global electricity and contribute to roughly 1% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The funding will accelerate industrial-scale foundry services, positioning Lightium at the forefront of efforts to reduce data center energy use.