 |
 |
01 Jul 2025
Italian integrated photonics startup looking to expand its portfolio for optical networking and sensing applications.
PhotonPath, a Milan-headquartered startup specializing in integrated photonics, is looking to scale its output after raising €5.1 million in a series A round of venture capital funding.
The Politecnico di Milano spin-out, established by co-founders Douglas Aguiar and Emanuele Guglielmi in 2019, says the money will help it accelerate the scale-up of its proprietary silicon photonics chipsets and plug-and-play modules for communications and sensing applications.
“This funding will also support the expansion of [our] commercial team to deepen market penetration across Europe and key strategic international markets,” added the firm, which has recently partnered with telecoms giant Telefonica on simultaneous amplification of both C and L bands within a single unit.
“The round unites a strong coalition of financial and corporate investors, highlighting PhotonPath’s rising leadership in optical communications, advanced sensing, and aerospace applications.”
Inflection point
Citing figures suggesting that the combined markets for optical networking and sensing will soon be worth more than $50 billion per annum, PhotonPath says that its photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology is ready to be deployed across both sectors.
CEO Aguiar added: “This funding milestone marks a strategic inflection point for PhotonPath. We now have the resources and partners to bring our high-performance photonic solutions to scale, grow internationally, and serve critical industries with the precision and flexibility they demand.”
The firm already sells a number of commercial products based around its “PhotonCore” chipsets, including the “nanoOCM” high-resolution optical spectrum analyser.
Said to be the world’s smallest, it uses silicon PICs and advanced control algorithms, and with a power consumption below 1 W it is aimed at next-generation optical modules and software-defined networks.
Meanwhile the “Spectre” platform offers a PIC-based fiber-optic sensing system capable of precise temperature and strain monitoring in harsh conditions, from high-voltage substations to automotive safety applications.
Its modular, plug-and-play design is said to enable rapid deployment across industrial sectors including energy, transportation, aerospace, and industrial automation.
Stumping up cash for the series A investment were Berlin-based Join Capital and Italy’s Deep Ocean Capital, who co-led the round, with additional contributions from Levante Capital, also based in Italy.
Join Capital has previously backed a number of photonics startups, including the fiber sensing firm Optics11, Netherlands-based Astrape Networks, 2D Photonics, and Quantum Optics Jena.
“PhotonPath is tackling one of the most critical challenges in the digital age, breaking through the limits of traditional electronics to unlock faster, more energy-efficient data acquisition and sensing,” said Jan Borgstädt, a partner at Join Capital.
“Their mission to transform how optical communications and infrastructure monitoring are done addresses urgent market needs and has the potential to reshape multiple industries.”
Effect lands another $24M
In related news Effect Photonics, the Netherlands-based developer of coherent pluggable modules, says it has raised a further $24 million in a series D round of funding, bringing its total for the round to $62 million following an initial $38 million announced in March.
Spun out of the Technical University of Eindhoven back in 2010, Effect now boasts office locations in the US, UK, and Taiwan.
Its CEO Roberto Marcoccia said: “This funding milestone reinforces the strong market demand we’re seeing and allows us to execute aggressively on our roadmap.
“We’re grateful for the continued support of our investors and partners as we scale to meet the needs of a rapidly growing optical interconnect market.”
The latest fundraising comes amid escalating demand for faster optical connections in data center operations increasingly dedicated to power hungry AI-related applications, with Effect saying that its modules will enable the next wave of high-performance networking in AI infrastructure.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| © 2025 SPIE Europe |
|
