Solinide raises €4 million as AI drives demand for more energy-efficient data centres

Solinide raises €4 million as AI drives demand for more energy-efficient data centres

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, August 20, 2026:

The rapid growth of AI is putting immense pressure on the world's data centres. As computing power increases, so does the amount of data that needs to move between chips, servers and networks, driving up both energy use and infrastructure costs. Swedish photonics company Solinide Photonics is developing a new generation of optical interconnect technology designed to address this challenge and has now raised €4 million to accelerate commercialisation.

The seed round includes existing investors Chalmers Ventures and Navigare Ventures, alongside new investors led by PSV Hafnium, with participation from Turbine Capital, Norrsken Evolve and Almi Greentech Fund.

Founded as a spin-out from Chalmers University of Technology, Solinide develops silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits and integrated frequency comb technology for optical communications. The company's patented microcomb technology enables dozens of precise wavelengths of light to be generated from a single chip, replacing systems that today rely on large numbers of individual laser sources.

As AI infrastructure scales, the challenge is no longer only increasing computing power. The ability to move data efficiently between processors, servers and networking equipment is becoming increasingly important for overall system performance. Solinide's multi-wavelength laser sources are designed to transport more data while reducing power consumption, cost and physical footprint in optical interconnect systems. The technology is also designed to scale with future generations of hardware as demand for bandwidth continues to increase.

In practical terms, Solinide's technology replaces racks of individual lasers with a single chip capable of generating many wavelengths simultaneously. This enables more data to travel through each optical fibre while simplifying system architecture. The approach has potential applications across AI data centres, telecommunications networks and other high-performance computing environments where efficiency and bandwidth are critical.

The company has already demonstrated that its microcomb technology can achieve the performance required for datacentre links and deliver an integrated rack-mounted product. The new funding will support product industrialisation, manufacturing readiness and broader commercial deployment.

"Solinide has demonstrated that its microcomb technology can achieve the performance required for datacentre links and deliver an integrated rack-mounted product. A key priority now is preparing for commercial readiness, launch and real-world deployment," says Marcello Girardi, CEO of Solinide Photonics.

Originally developed at Chalmers University of Technology, Solinide operates at the intersection of several strategically important technology areas, including photonics, semiconductors, telecommunications and AI infrastructure.

"Over the past few years, the market has started to recognise something the photonics community has known for a long time. As computing performance continues to increase, communication between chips is becoming an equally important challenge. Solinide's technology addresses that issue by generating multiple wavelengths from a single photonic chip, which can reduce system complexity while increasing data capacity," says David Storek, Investment Director at Chalmers Ventures.

"What has convinced us throughout the company's development is the combination of strong science, disciplined execution and clear market relevance. The team has consistently delivered on difficult technical milestones and demonstrated technology that aligns well with where AI infrastructure and optical communications are heading."

The funding will enable Solinide to expand its engineering and commercial teams, strengthen in-house prototyping capabilities, prepare for scalable manufacturing in Europe and deepen collaboration with strategic industry partners.

"We are thrilled to have the confidence of prominent investors in Solinide's team and technology. The capital raise will support expansion of our engineering and commercial teams, strengthen our in-house prototyping capabilities and help prepare the company for large-scale manufacturing and customer deployment," says Girardi.

While initially targeting optical interconnects for AI data centres, the underlying technology has applications across telecommunications and other data-intensive sectors where demand for higher capacity continues to grow. As operators seek ways to increase data throughput without proportionally increasing energy consumption, integrated photonics is becoming an increasingly important part of future communications infrastructure.

With its silicon nitride platform and proprietary microcomb technology, Solinide is positioned in a market shaped by three long-term trends: growing AI workloads, rising demand for data transmission and increasing focus on energy efficiency. The company's technology addresses all three, creating opportunities across data centres, telecommunications and next-generation computing systems where moving more data with less energy is becoming a competitive necessity.

About Solinide

Solinide Photonics AB (formerly Iloomina AB) develops integrated frequency combs and products based on patented technology for prototyping photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on silicon nitride core waveguides and the commercialization of integrated frequency combs. Solinide was founded in 2021 as a spin-off from Chalmers University of Technology. For more information, visit Solinide.com and LinkedIn.

Media Contacts Solinide Photonics
Leslie Johnsen
Communications Advisor
Mob: +47 41 45 80 43
Email: leslie.johnsen@solinide.com

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