Photondelta has secured a 1.1-billion-euro investment to bolster the Dutch integrated-photonics ecosystem. The capital includes 470 million euros in funding from the Dutch National Growth Fund, while the rest is co-invested by various partners and stakeholders. The money will be used to fund photonic startups and scaleups, expand production and research facilities, attract and train talent, drive adoption and develop a world-class design library. By 2030, Photondelta aims to have created an ecosystem with hundreds of companies, serving customers worldwide and a wafer production capacity of 100,000+ per year.
“This investment is a game-changer. We’ll now be able to support hundreds of startups, researchers, producers and innovators to boost this industry that will be as impactful as the introduction of microelectronics a few decades ago. It will make the Netherlands the home of the next generation of semiconductors, which will have a profound impact on the whole European tech industry,” says CEO Ewit Roos of Photondelta.
The Photondelta proposal has been submitted by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy in close collaboration with CITC, Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, Holst Centre, Imec, Oneplanet, PITC, TNO, the University of Twente, Bright Photonics, Effect Photonics, Lionix International, Mantispectra, Phix, Photonfirst and Smart Photonics.
The Photondelta ecosystem currently consists of 26 companies, 11 technology partners and 12 R&D partners. The organization has jointly invested 171 million euros in photonics companies including Effect Photonics, Microalign, Photonfirst, Smart Photonics, Solmates and Surfix.
