Optics11 secures €50M for expansion

Optics11, a 2011 spin-out from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands, says it has raised a further €50 million in equity funding to aid future expansion. The latest tranche of support means that the company has now attracted upwards of €100 million in equity funding in a little over a year.

“The new capital will support increased manufacturing and international expansion, enabling the company to respond to growing global demand, expand its operational capabilities and deliver its technology to an increasing number of customers and partners,” announced the firm in a press release.

Existing institutional investors FORWARD.one, Value Creation Capital, SET Ventures and JOIN Capital, have provided further backing this time, with all four reinvesting as Optics11 enters its next phase of international growth.

Hybrid warfare

That investment comes amid what is seen as a growing commercial opportunity for fiber-optic sensing technology in security applications protecting critical infrastructure.

“Governments across the globe are re-assessing their ability to protect national infrastructure as hybrid warfare increasingly extends beyond traditional military domains and into the seas, while global electricity networks face growing pressure from electrification, rising energy demand and the need for greater grid resilience,” stated the firm.

“Together, these challenges are creating significant international demand for advanced sensing technologies capable of protecting the infrastructure upon which modern economies depend.”

That has been reflected in Optics11’s own international order pipeline, with customers recognizing the ability of fiber-optic sensing to provide earlier warning and more precise underwater detection compared with electrical sensing methods.

“With interest growing across both underwater intelligence and energy grids, the investment will enable Optics11 to scale its operations and manufacturing capabilities to meet customer demand and support the wider deployment of its technology internationally,” it added.

One example is the Dutch Ministry of Defence, which recently selected Optics11’s containerized “OptiArray” technology for its Anti-Submarine Warfare In A Box (ASWINABO) program.

OptiArray enables the deployment of advanced underwater sensing capability from a much broader range of crewed and uncrewed surface vessels, including civilian ships. The idea is to strengthen the readiness and self-sufficiency of the Royal Netherlands Navy with improved maritime surveillance capability.

High-voltage assets

Other products include the “OptiBarrier” system, which provides persistent seabed sensing at distances of up to 100 kilometres from the shoreline, while “OptiFinder” applies acoustic sensing via optical fibers to detect and precisely localize partial discharge in high-voltage lines to within 15 centimeters.

Optics11 CEO Paul Heiden, who has been in charge since 2024, commented: “This investment is a significant milestone for Optics11 and reflects the growing international demand for technology that can help protect the critical infrastructure our societies depend upon.

“From ASWINABO to OptiFinder, we are seeing our technology move into real-world deployment, with increasing interest from governments, operators and partners around the world.

“We have spent years developing the most sophisticated sensing technology capable of operating in the world’s most hostile environments. This investment gives us the ability to scale our manufacturing and international capabilities, deliver on that growing demand and continue working with partners to bring advanced sensing technology to the markets where it is needed most.”