Ephos, a leading producer of glass-based photonic chips, has raised $8.5 million in seed funding and opened the world’s first facility dedicated to designing and producing these innovative chips in Milan. This milestone marks a significant expansion for the company, poised to transform the future of computing with its proprietary technology.
The funding round was led by Starlight Ventures, with participation from notable investors including Joe Zadeh, former Vice President at Airbnb, Diego Piacentini, former Senior Vice President at Amazon, and Simone Severini, General Manager of Quantum Technologies at Amazon Web Services. Ephos’ glass-based photonic chips offer best-in-class performance for signal loss, a major hurdle in building quantum computers, and have far-reaching applications beyond quantum computing, including in data centers where they can reduce energy consumption.
CEO and co-founder Andrea Rocchetto hailed the funding and facility opening as a critical milestone, while Kike Miralles, Principal at Starlight Ventures, praised Ephos’ potential to revolutionize the future of computing with its innovative technology.
Revolutionizing Quantum Computing: Ephos Raises $8.5M Seed Round and Opens World’s First Facility for Glass-Based Photonic Chips
Ephos, a pioneer in the field of quantum computing, has announced an $8.5 million seed funding round and the opening of its state-of-the-art research and manufacturing facility in Milan, Italy. This milestone marks a significant step forward in the development of glass-based photonic chips, which are poised to transform the computational infrastructure of the future.
The funding round was led by Starlight Ventures, a US venture capital firm specializing in deep tech investments, with participation from several prominent investors. The European Innovation Council (EIC) and NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) also provided non-dilutive components to the funding round. Ephos was chosen as one of just 10 companies out of a pool exceeding 1,300 applicants, demonstrating the company’s potential to drive innovation in the quantum technologies industry.
Glass-Based Photonic Chips: A Game-Changer for Quantum Computing
Ephos’ proprietary technology designs and builds glass-based photonic chips, which offer best-in-class performance for signal loss. This is a critical advantage in building a quantum computer, as signal loss is one of the greatest hurdles to overcome. The company’s novel 3D design and manufacturing capabilities unlock unique scaling opportunities and computational modalities that ultimately enable better system performance.
Glass-based photonic chips have far-reaching implications beyond quantum computing, with applications in data centers where they can reduce energy footprints. As the AI revolution continues to place a strain on data centers, the demand for more efficient technologies is growing. Goldman Sachs estimates that data center power usage will grow 160% by 2030, making Ephos’ technology a timely solution.
Securing Geopolitical Advantage through Supply Chain Independence
Ephos’ chips are built entirely in-house, and the company’s supply chain relies exclusively on US and EU suppliers. This independence reinforces Allied security interests, offering a unique geopolitical advantage. By ensuring that critical quantum infrastructure is developed within NATO’s emerging tech ecosystem, Ephos helps safeguard strategic independence in quantum technologies, a vital area for future defense and communications.
The Future of Computing: A New Era of Efficiency and Performance
Ephos’ technology has the potential to transform not just quantum computing and AI but the broader computational infrastructure of the future. By addressing energy inefficiencies and enhancing performance across industries, from data centers to secure communications, Ephos is laying the foundation for the next generation of computing technology.
The company’s CEO and co-founder, Andrea Rocchetto, commented on the significance of this milestone, stating that Ephos’ glass-based photonic chips are set to revolutionize the future of computing. Kike Miralles, Principal at Starlight Ventures, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the potential for Ephos’ technology to significantly reduce signal loss and improve energy efficiency, opening the door to new possibilities in quantum computing and communication technologies across multiple industries.
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