Vector Photonics lands more than £2.4 million in equity investment
Vector Photonics has announced the recent receipt of more than £2.4 million ($2.94 million) of equity investment. The money will go towards further commercialization of the company’s all-semiconductor photonic crystal surface emitting laser (PCSEL) technology.
Clean Growth Fund is the major investor in the round, followed by the Foresight WAE Technology (FWT) Funds, with participation from the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S), Scottish Enterprise and Equity Gap, which led the round. Clean Growth Fund and Scottish Enterprise are new investors in Vector Photonics, while the other entities have financially supported the company previously.
Vector Photonics spun out from the University of Glasgow in 2020 with the goal of developing and commercializing PCSELs as an alternative to VCSELs and other laser types (see “Startup Vector Photonics touts potential of Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Lasers”). PCSELs feature a 2D grating structure (the “photonic crystal”) that scatters light linearly and orthogonally. As a result, the feedback is in-plane and light emission is out of plane and emanates from the laser’s top surface, as do VCSELs. This combination is unique to PCSELs, the company asserts, and leads to advantages in data rate, wavelength, and power performance. The devices also can be produced in a manner similar to edge-emitting lasers.
PCSELs should be applicable to data center communications, the first application space Vector Photonics has targeted; this space includes what the company calls “co-located optics.” The company also is looking at metal and plastic printing, LiDAR, and optical sensing.
Vector Photonics last announced a funding round in April 2021 of £1.6 million ($1.96 million; see “Vector Photonics touts new investment, PCSEL performance”).
For related articles, visit the Optical Technologies Topic Center.
For more information on optical components and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of optical communications technology, subscribe to Lightwave’s Enabling Technologies Newsletter.
Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.