Enlightra, a Swiss-American deeptech startup developing chip-scale multiwavelength lasers for next-generation data transmission, has raised a total of $15 million to address one of the largest constraints in AI infrastructure: fast and energy-efficient data transfer. The funding supports the replacement of copper wiring with compact, ultra-high-bandwidth optical links that move data faster while significantly reducing power consumption, a market projected to reach $24 billion by 2030.
The investment enabled Enlightra to design and demonstrate its multi-color laser technology, which connects GPUs and TPUs inside AI clusters with higher speed and efficiency than traditional copper cables. Backers include Y Combinator, Runa Capital, Pegasus Tech Ventures, Protocol Labs, Halo Labs, Asymmetry Ventures, and TRAC VC.
“The world’s AI infrastructure is hitting the limits of copper,” said Maxim Karpov, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Enlightra. “Our lasers unlock a new level of energy-efficient connectivity by turning light into the backbone of GPU communication.”
Enlightra’s technology integrates dozens of data channels into a single laser source, reducing power usage, cost, and physical footprint while maximizing fiber capacity. “Using more colors is the only way to fully utilize the capacity of modern optical fiber networks,” said John Jost, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Enlightra. “Our technology enables AI clusters and data centers to scale efficiently by separating performance growth from energy and the cost increases.”
Built on industry-standard silicon photonics manufacturing processes, the lasers are designed for mass production, enabling deployment at data-center scale. With a 25-person team, Enlightra has already built and tested 8- and 16-channel lasers meeting customer requirements, with pilot production planned for 2027.
“AI is driving an optical revolution,” said Dmitry Galperin, General Partner at Runa Capital. “Enlightra’s multiwavelength lasers are a foundational technology for the next decade of high-performance computing, bringing the efficiency and scalability the industry urgently needs.”
Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Enlightra operates at the intersection of photonics, semiconductors, and AI infrastructure, with ambitions extending from AI clusters to data centers, subsea networks, and future quantum and space communications.