Cash injection to boost Bristol firm's photonic chip design

A Bristol-based innovator in the integrated photonics industry has closed its first investment round, securing £600,000.

Light Trace Photonics, co-founded by Bristol University PhD researcher Dr Jake Biele, joined tech startup incubation SETsquared’s programme in May with the aim of commercialising and growing the company.

This capital injection, led by QantX Ventures, will turbo-charge the development and launch of LightCraft, a photonic chip component access platform aimed at accelerating product development for companies in the quantum, communications and photonic processing sectors.

LightCraft customers have access to an extensive library of tried-and-tested photonic chip components and subsystems, streamlining design and slashing time-to-market.

LightCraft builds on Light Trace’s existing hardware product the LightPort, a photonic chip component evaluation board for rapid prototyping and training, and is the next stage in helping engineers and companies develop photonic products faster.

Chief Executive Dr Biele sees LightCraft as a turning point in the development of integrated photonics.

He said: “The LightCraft platform, in combination with the LightPort, gives businesses the tools to push the boundaries of what’s possible with integrated photonics.

“Customers can bring their ideas to life quickly and effectively, driven by the expertise of the Light Trace team.”

He added: “At Light Trace, we don’t just design—we build.

“This hands-on approach provides us with unique insights into the intricacies of photonic chip development, insights that we share with our customers to help fuel their success.”

Photonics - the science and technology of light, including lasers, optical systems, components and fibre optics - is a £13.5 billion industry, according to Innovate UK.

The technology is used across many industries from optical communications and data storage to laser sensors for autonomous vehicles.

Dr Harry Alexander, Investment Manager at QantX and SETsquared Bristol investor in residence explained why QantX was keen to invest in Light Trace Photonics.

He said: “Photonics is a critical and enabling sector for our modern society, with new complex photonic integrated circuits (PICs) representing a paradigm shift in the form and functionality of devices.

“Having worked with Light Trace since 2022, we’re excited to back them in delivering LightCraft, a novel platform to enable rapid PIC development.”