Optalysys, a Leeds-based company focused on photonic computing, has announced that it has raised £23 million in a Series A extension round led by Northern Gritstone, with participation from imec.xpand, Lingotto Horizon, and the UK government’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF). ## Investment Goals The company will use the funding to accelerate the commercialization of its proprietary photonic chips and further develop its programmable computing technology for AI, cloud, and security applications. Optalysys also plans to expand into the US, establishing a presence within the US photonics and semiconductor ecosystem. ## Technology Optalysys is developing a photonic computing approach that integrates data movement and processing on a single chip, combining silicio photonics with digital technologies to increase computational capacity and improve energy efficiency. The company is building a programmable, high-density computing layer designed to support compute-intensive workloads, including generative AI and post-quantum algorithms, as part of next-generation cloud infrastructure. A key application is fully homomorphic encryption, which enables data to be processed while remaining encrypted, increasingly relevant for secure cloud and enterprise environments. Early implementations of this technology are deployed in Optalysys’ LightLocker™ Node servers, which are designed to support encrypted blockchain applications. ## The Future of Photonic Computing Photonic computing promises to revolutionize the industry, offering superior speed and efficiency compared to traditional technologies. This innovative approach could unlock new possibilities in various fields, from artificial intelligence to cybersecurity, paving the way for more powerful and sustainable solutions.