Swiss Startup Aylight Raises €4.5M to Advance Optical Interconnects for AI

At the centre of Aylight's work is a chip-scale multiwavelength laser designed for optical interconnects used in AI data centres, as well as for high-precision frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) sensing. According to the company, its approach generates several precisely spaced wavelengths from a single chip, which can reduce the reliance on multiple separate lasers within optical communication systems.

The design is built around a frequency-modulated comb, often referred to as an FM comb, and is intended to be produced using existing semiconductor photonics foundries. This compatibility with established manufacturing processes is a notable aspect, since it could ease the path from prototype to scaled production without requiring entirely new fabrication infrastructure.

Aylight has framed its work around a specific bottleneck in AI systems. As reported by Tech.eu, co-founder and chief executive Bahareh Marzban said the company began with a problem rather than a technology, describing the laser as one of the constraints on scaling AI infrastructure, and stated that the funding would help bring the technology from research to its first products.

Why it matters for Europe

The company said that demand for more efficient optical interconnects is rising as AI infrastructure expands and as data transfer between chips grows in importance for data-centre performance. Components that improve the efficiency of these connections are increasingly seen as strategically relevant to the broader computing supply chain.

For the European technology sector, the round adds to a set of hardware and photonics ventures seeking to establish a foothold in the physical layer that underpins AI computing. By drawing on research from a leading Swiss institution and backing from regional investors, Aylight positions itself within a segment where Europe is aiming to build competitive capabilities. The next stage, according to the company, centres on delivering foundry-based prototypes that demonstrate the technology at a manufacturable scale.