Lightium
Lightium AG is a Swiss photonic foundry founded in 2023 that manufactures production-grade Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) integrated circuits on 200 mm wafers, serving data center, telecom, quantum computing, and space customers via foundry, design, and packaging services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Lightium does
Lightium AG is a Swiss photonic foundry founded in September 2023 in Zurich by Dr. Amir Ghadimi (CEO), Dr. Frédéric Loizeau (CRO), and MIT professor Dirk Englund. The company operates Europe's first production-grade Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) photonic integrated circuit foundry, manufacturing 200 mm wafers in a commercial CMOS environment with a Process Design Kit (PDK) covering four bandwidths (C-band, O-band, 780 nm, and 830 nm). Lightium targets ultra-high-speed (>100 GHz) electro-optic modulation, low-voltage operation (Vπ ≤ 1V), a wide 350–5,500 nm transparency window, and data transmission rates currently at 800 Gbit/s with a roadmap toward 1.6–3.2 Tb/s, claiming more than 30% energy reduction versus conventional semiconductor solutions.
The business model centers on an open-access foundry offering wafer-processing services from rapid prototyping to volume production, supplemented by PIC design services and end-to-end test and packaging support through partnerships (PHIX for packaging, MPI Corporation and Axiomatic_AI for the IAITS AI-driven test solution). The October 2025 INGENIOUS consortium extends the roadmap into wafer-scale TFLN+InP integration via micro-transfer printing, addressing TFLN's historic inability to generate or detect light. Target customers are data center and AI infrastructure operators (primary), telecom equipment providers, quantum computing firms, satellite/space communication players, and LIDAR/optical-computing developers. Foundry services are in closed beta as of late 2024 with public launch targeted for early 2025.
Commercial traction to date is pre-revenue and supported by approximately $13M+ of total funding: a $7M seed round co-led by Vsquared Ventures and Lakestar in September 2024, a CHF 2.67M non-dilutive InnoSuisse grant in May 2024, a CHF 150K Venture Kick award in February 2025, and a €3.1M share of the €7.6M INGENIOUS Eureka Xecs project in October 2025. Lightium has received the Swiss Economic Award 2026 in the Deep Tech category, employs approximately 22+ people, and operates from Wagistrasse 13 in Schlieren, Switzerland.
Lightium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lightium
- Legal name
- Lightium AG
- Website
- https://lightium.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Lightium AG is a Swiss photonic foundry founded in 2023 that manufactures production-grade Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) integrated circuits on 200 mm wafers, serving data center, telecom, quantum computing, and space customers via foundry, design, and packaging services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lightium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Photonic Semiconductor Foundry
- NAICS
- Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronic / Photonics Foundries (Silicon Photonics/LED/Laser) (HDAHACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL) (HDAHALAL), Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM)
Keywords
Where Lightium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lightium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Foundry Services: Production-grade TFLN photonic integrated circuit manufacturing services offering rapid prototyping to volume production. Revenue generated through wafer processing fees and manufacturing services.
- Design Services: PIC design services and design enablement support for customers using the TFLN platform.
- Packaging Services: End-to-end support including test and packaging readiness through partnerships like PHIX.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Lightium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lightium operates Europe's first production-grade Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) photonic integrated circuit foundry, manufacturing 200mm wafers in a commercial CMOS fab environment. Customers contract the foundry to produce ultra-high-speed, low-voltage TFLN photonic chips for data center interconnects, telecom, quantum, and space applications, supported by a multi-bandwidth Process Design Kit and design enablement services.
Product overview
Lightium is a Swiss startup operating as Europe's first production-grade Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) photonic integrated circuit foundry. The company's core offering is its TFLN Platform, which provides foundry services for manufacturing high-performance PICs at 200 mm wafer scale. The portfolio centers on TFLN Photonic Foundry Services combined with a comprehensive Process Design Kit (PDK) available in C-band, O-band, 780 nm, and 830 nm bandwidths. Additional offerings include PIC Design Services, Ultra-High-Speed Photonic Packaging (via partnership with PHIX), and the AI-driven Intelligent Autonomous Integrated Test Solution (IAITS, developed with MPI Corporation and Axiomatic_AI). The TFLN platform enables ultra-fast modulation (>100 GHz), low-voltage operation (Vπ ≤ 1V), and supports transmission rates up to 800 Gbit/s currently with roadmap to exceed 1.6 Tb/s, serving Telecom, Datacom, Quantum Computing, AI, and Space industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TFLN Photonic Foundry Services Production-grade Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) photonic integrated circuit foundry service that manufactures 200mm wafers in a commercial CMOS fab, supporting rapid prototyping through volume production for data center, telecom, quantum, and space applications. Designed for photonic device manufacturers and system integrators building ultra-high-speed, energy-efficient optical interconnects.
- Process Design Kit (PDK) A comprehensive Process Design Kit offering building blocks for photonic device design on Lightium's TFLN platform, available in four bandwidths (C-band, O-band, 780 nm, 830 nm). Targeted at photonic IC designers and fab customers needing validated, production-ready design enablement.
- PIC Design Services Professional design services and end-to-end support for customers developing photonic integrated circuits on the TFLN platform, including design enablement. Targeted at photonic device manufacturers and OEMs that need design support in addition to foundry fabrication.
Quantifiable outcome
- Data transmission speeds of 1.6 Tb/s or 3.2 Tb/s for customers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lightium
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Lightium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Lightium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, minor and moderate.
- INGENIOUS Consortiummajor€7.6M Eureka Xecs-funded project to integrate lasers and detectors into TFLN PICs. Lightium leads platform development with €3.1M budget share. Consortium includes European and Canadian photonic players for wafer-scale TFLN+InP integration using micro-transfer printing.
- MPI CorporationcoreStrategic partnership to develop Intelligent, Autonomous, and Integrated Test Solution (IAITS) for photonic devices. MPI provides industry-leading wafer probing systems and automation software. Partnership combines MPI's hardware with Lightium's testing infrastructure.
- Axiomatic_AI Inc.corePartnership to develop AI-driven photonic IC testing solutions. Axiomatic_AI provides physics-based reasoning artificial intelligence to accelerate innovation in photonic device testing and optimization.
- CCRAFTminorCSEM spin-off collaboration at LASER 2025 event. Both companies presented TFLN PIC offerings. CCRAFT announced collaboration with Soitec for LNOI wafer sourcing.
- PHIX B.V.coreCollaboration with Dutch photonic packaging expert to develop ultra-high-speed photonic packaging solutions for Lightium's electro-optic modulator devices functioning above 110 GHz. PHIX contributes automated assembly and electro-optic packaging design expertise.
- Venture KickmoderateSwiss startup support program providing funding, visibility, and credibility. Beyond funding, brings network of industry experts and mentors.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Lightium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- GlobalFoundries: Large global semiconductor foundry with an active silicon photonics platform (GF Fotonix) serving datacom, telecom, and AI applications. A broad incumbent that competes with TFLN in next-generation optical interconnects.
- Tower Semiconductor: Specialty foundry offering silicon photonics and RF SOI processes for high-speed optical and wireless applications. Broad incumbent with overlapping customers in datacom and telecom.
Direct peers
- CompoundTek: Singapore-based silicon photonics foundry providing open-access wafer fabrication for PIC developers. Operates a comparable foundry-as-a-service model with PDK-enabled design services for telecom and datacom applications.
- HC Photonics: TFLN-based photonic component supplier offering lithium niobate modulators and PDKs for high-speed optical communications. Competes with Lightium in the TFLN modulator and design-enablement space.
- Ligentec: European (Germany-based) silicon nitride photonic foundry offering wafer-scale PIC manufacturing with similar foundry-as-a-service business model targeting datacom, quantum, and sensing customers. Most directly comparable to Lightium's TFLN foundry in Europe.
- NanoLN: TFLN-focused photonic company offering thin-film lithium niobate modulators and foundry services. Directly comparable technology platform targeting similar high-speed datacom and telecom applications.
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish research institute operating a silicon photonics and emerging-materials PIC foundry (VTT Memsfab). Comparable open-access foundry model serving European photonic customers, including quantum and datacom.
Emerging players
- CSEM: Swiss R&D center active in TFLN and silicon nitride photonics process development. Local Swiss photonics ecosystem player with related technology capabilities and potential collaboration/competitive overlap.
- SRICO: US-based specialist in lithium niobate and TFLN-based photonic components for high-speed modulation. Comparable TFLN technology focus though with a components business model rather than open foundry.
Regional players
- AIM Photonics: US-based public-private photonic integrated circuit foundry consortium offering silicon photonics manufacturing services. Operates a comparable multi-party foundry model but focused on silicon photonics and based in North America.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lightium social profiles
Digital presenceLightium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lightium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Lightium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lightium M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lightium
What does Lightium do?
Lightium operates Europe's first production-grade Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) photonic integrated circuit foundry, manufacturing 200mm wafers in a commercial CMOS fab environment. Customers contract the foundry to produce ultra-high-speed, low-voltage TFLN photonic chips for data center interconnects, telecom, quantum, and space applications, supported by a multi-bandwidth Process Design Kit and design enablement services.
Is Lightium a public or private company?
Lightium is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Lightium founded?
Lightium was founded in 2023. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lightium based?
Lightium is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Lightium make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Foundry Services are the primary driver. The others are design Services and packaging Services.
Who are Lightium's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are GlobalFoundries and Tower Semiconductor. Direct peers are CompoundTek, HC Photonics, Ligentec, NanoLN and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Emerging players are CSEM and SRICO. AIM Photonics is listed as a regional player.
Does Lightium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lightium.
What industry is Lightium in?
Lightium's product category is Photonic Semiconductor Foundry. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHACAG, Optoelectronic / Photonics Foundries (Silicon Photonics/LED/Laser), with a secondary code of HDAHALAL, Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL). Its NAICS code is 333242 and its SIC code is 3827.