Photonics, the science that powers light-based systems for data manipulation, has long been touted as the future of high-performance computing. Yet, despite its enormous potential, the technology has struggled to be fully applied to a new generation of chips. German startup Akhetonics is seeking to change that with a bold, all-optical approach to chipmaking. The company has raised €6 million (approximately $6.33 million) in a seed funding round led by Matterwave Ventures, TechCrunch has learned exclusively.
Unlike companies developing hybrid solutions that mix electronics and photonics, Akhetonics is setting its sights on creating fully optical general-purpose chips. Its name—a blend of “Akhet,” an Egyptian hieroglyph meaning “horizon,” and “photonics”—reflects this ambitious vision. In the context of computing, “general-purpose” means chips capable of running various software applications, making them adaptable to numerous tasks.
The all-optical approach comes with several advantages. Beyond promising unmatched speed, the chips are designed to be digital and compatible with existing software workloads—an edge over analog photonics-based approaches. This could prove especially beneficial in high-stakes environments like networking, avionics, and space, where real-time high-performance computing is critical.
But speed isn’t the only draw. Energy efficiency is another key advantage, especially as computing demands grow amid increasing geopolitical tensions over chip sovereignty. Akhetonics’ co-founder and CEO, Michael Kissner, emphasised this aspect in an interview with TechCrunch. “For us, the most interesting part is that we have a supply chain that is very diverse,” he said. Unlike many conventional chipmakers reliant on geopolitically sensitive regions, Akhetonics’ fully optical chips could be manufactured locally, offering companies greater security and flexibility.
A Long-Term Vision That Defies Doubters
While the promise of all-optical general-purpose chips is exciting, the journey to commercial viability remains uncertain. Industry observers largely agree that photonics will eventually play a central role in chipmaking, but some remain sceptical about its feasibility for general-purpose computing in the short term. For instance, French VC firm Daphni has publicly expressed reluctance to invest in this space.
Meanwhile, some companies that initially aimed for similar goals have pivoted. Lightmatter, for example, shifted its focus to creating interconnects for faster data transfer within data centres—an area that has seen significant success.
Despite the doubts, Matterwave Ventures believes the timing is right for Akhetonics’ approach. “For us, it felt like there are sufficient things that are coming together to make this a reality,” said Silviu Apostu, Principal at Matterwave Ventures.
Akhetonics’ confidence is grounded in its earlier success. With funding from deep-tech VC Runa Capital in 2023, the company focused on proving the feasibility of general-purpose optical computing. Kissner is optimistic about the results. “Our big goal was to show that you can do general-purpose computing using only optics, and that is something that we have now shown,” he said.
Redefining Chip Architecture
The key to Akhetonics’ progress lies in rethinking chip architecture from first principles. Contrary to common assumptions, Kissner argues that all-optical computing doesn’t require billions of optical transistors. “With the right architecture, you don’t,” he explained.
The company recently detailed its innovative approach in a paper, which highlights how it avoids the traditional optimisations employed by industry giants like AMD, Intel, and Nvidia. This rethink allows Akhetonics to reduce development costs significantly. For example, while conventional chipmaking demands enormous capital, Akhetonics claims its all-optical designs can be achieved for as little as €50,000 per chip—a fraction of the usual cost.
The current funding round will primarily go toward expanding the company’s team to 30 employees as they work to deliver commercial prototypes to customers by mid-2025. For Akhetonics, the €6 million seed round is more than sufficient. “In our world, you can design a chip for €50,000,” Kissner said, describing the round size as “a lot of money” for their needs.
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