VPIphotonics

What VPIphotonics does

VPIphotonics GmbH, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, develops end-to-end photonic design automation (PDA) software for the simulation, analysis, and optimization of photonic devices, components, systems, and networks. Founded in 2002 and operating with a team of 11-50, the company offers a layered product portfolio spanning device-level simulation (VPIdeviceDesigner), circuit-level PIC design (VPIcomponentMaker Photonic Circuits), and system- and link-level modeling (VPItransmissionMaker Optical Systems, VPIlinkConfigurator, VPIlinkDesigner), all unified under the VPIphotonics Design Suite. The platform is differentiated by a tightly integrated toolchain covering more than 1,000 ready-to-run simulation setups, multi-foundry PDK toolkits (LioniX TriPleX, LIGENTEC, HHI, SMART, Infinera, GPIC), and certified interoperability with Synopsys PhoeniX OptoDesigner, Siemens EDA L-Edit Photonics and S-Edit, Keysight PathWave ADS, and Tektronix lab instruments. Add-on toolkits extend the platform into machine-learning-driven inverse design (VPItoolkit ML Framework), lab-proven DSP algorithms co-developed with Fraunhofer HHI (VPItoolkit DSP Library), and quantum key distribution (VPItoolkit QKD). On June 9, 2026, Keysight Technologies completed its acquisition of VPIphotonics, integrating the company's system-level simulation capabilities with Keysight's RSoft and Photonic Designer portfolios.

The company monetizes primarily through commercial software subscriptions (with perpetual licenses plus annual maintenance also available) priced publicly on the website, plus a Worldwide University Partner Program offering over 75% discounts to more than 140 academic and non-profit institutions worldwide. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales, regional distribution partnerships (AISAY Corporation in Japan, LUSTER in China), technology integration partners, and an active presence at major photonics conferences (OFC, ECOC, SPIE Photonics West, CLEO). Customers include PIC designers in datacom and telecom, optical network engineers, academic and research institutions (University of Cambridge, Ghent University, DTU, NUS, Tsinghua, Southampton, Georgia Tech), and government research centers such as Fraunhofer HHI, with growing exposure to AI infrastructure silicon photonics, co-packaged optics, free-space optical communications, and quantum communications use cases.

Name

VPIphotonics

Legal name

VPIphotonics GmbH

Website

https://vpiphotonics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VPIphotonics GmbH, a Berlin-based photonic design automation software company, provides end-to-end simulation and design tools spanning devices, photonic integrated circuits, optical transmission systems, and networks. Acquired by Keysight Technologies in June 2026, it serves telecom, datacom, AI infrastructure, academic, and government research customers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photonic Design Automation Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

System-Level, Multi-Physics & Package/PCB Co-Design (EDA) (HDAHAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Design Services & ASIC/SoC Implementation (EDA-Adjacent) (HDAHAFAL)

Keywords

• Photonic design automation
• Optical system simulation
• Photonic integrated circuits
• Optical network planning
• Silicon photonics design

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses: Commercial software licenses for VPIphotonics Design Suite and related tools. Offers both periodic subscription licenses and perpetual licenses with free upgrades during maintenance periods. Pricing is publicly disclosed with significant discounts for academic use.
2. University Program Licensing: Special academic licensing program offering over 75% discount compared to commercial pricing. Provides flexible duration licenses, classroom packages up to 10 seats, and free course material including lectures and lab exercises.
3. Consulting and Design Services: Custom consulting services for photonic design projects, R&D collaborations with industry and academic partners, and professional services for specialized implementations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VPIphotonics develops and sells photonic design automation software that enables end-to-end simulation, design, analysis, and optimization of photonic devices, components, systems, and optical networks. The flagship VPIphotonics Design Suite integrates device-level (VPIdeviceDesigner), circuit-level (VPIcomponentMaker Photonic Circuits and Fiber Optics), and system-level (VPItransmissionMaker Optical Systems, VPIlinkConfigurator, VPIlinkDesigner) simulators, supplemented by lab integration (VPIlabExpert), a free viewer (VPIplayer), and add-on toolkits for DSP, machine learning, QKD, and foundry PDKs. The software is licensed to telecom equipment vendors, data center operators, photonic integrated circuit designers, foundries, and academic researchers globally.

Product overview

VPIphotonics provides an end-to-end photonic design automation platform centered on VPIphotonics Design Suite, which integrates VPItransmissionMaker Optical Systems for transmission system design, VPIcomponentMaker Photonic Circuits for PIC design, VPIcomponentMaker Fiber Optics for fiber device design, and VPIlabExpert for lab-simulation integration. The portfolio also includes standalone products: VPIdeviceDesigner for device-level waveguide and fiber simulation, VPIlinkConfigurator and VPIlinkDesigner for optical network planning and engineering, and VPIplayer as a free viewer for simulation files. Add-on toolkits extend functionality including the VPItoolkit DSP Library (Fraunhofer HHI algorithms), VPItoolkit ML Framework for machine learning, VPItoolkit QKD for quantum communications, and a suite of VPItoolkit PDK modules supporting various photonic foundries (HHI, LioniX, LIGENTEC, SMART, Infinera, and Siemens EDA GPIC). The company was acquired by Keysight Technologies on June 9, 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VPIphotonics Design Suite: Industry-leading simulation and design environment for optical components and transmission systems
• VPIlinkConfigurator
• VPIlinkDesigner
• VPIdeviceDesigner
• VPIcomponentMaker Photonic Circuits
• VPItransmissionMaker Optical Systems
• VPIlabExpert
• VPItoolkit ML Framework
• VPItoolkit DSP Library
• VPItoolkit QKD

Products and services

• VPIphotonics Design Suite Flagship comprehensive simulation environment for photonic and optoelectronic components and complete optical systems targeting communications, computing, sensing, and other applications. Includes VPItransmissionMaker Optical Systems, VPIlabExpert, VPIcomponentMaker Fiber Optics, and VPIcomponentMaker Photonic Circuits in one shared platform.
• VPItransmissionMaker Optical Systems Systems design environment for photonic systems and subsystems targeting short-range, access, metro, and long-haul optical transmission systems, enabling development of technology strategies.
• VPIcomponentMaker Photonic Circuits Simulation and design environment for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) with advanced device libraries integrated with a scalable time-and-frequency-domain simulation framework for fast and accurate modeling of large-scale PICs with photonic, electrical, and optoelectronic devices.
• VPIcomponentMaker Fiber Optics Professional modeling, optimization, and design tools for fiber-based optical devices including doped amplifiers, Raman and parametric amplifiers, continuous-wave and pulsed optical fiber sources, and optical signal processing for telecommunication, high-power, and ultrafast applications.
• VPIlabExpert Lab environment integration tool providing signal pre- and post-processing and analysis functions with interface modules for automatic signal conversion between simulation software and lab equipment, enabling virtualization of lab equipment through emulation.
• VPIdeviceDesigner Versatile simulation framework for analyzing and optimizing integrated photonic waveguides and optical fibers, emphasizing integrated photonics applications with advanced optical fiber design and analysis features.
• VPIlinkConfigurator Streamlined interface for optical network engineering including automatic equipment placement, component configuration, and system-wide performance assessment with maps displaying optical power, OSNR, dispersion, and nonlinear distortion levels. Supports ROADMs, ring and mesh network topologies.
• VPIlinkDesigner Cost-effective, easy-to-use tool for fast and optimum design and provisioning of links in optical networks and sub-networks with equipment placement and configuration and thorough system-wide performance assessment.
• VPIplayer Free simulator for running dynamicDataSheet simulation files exported from VPIphotonics design tools, featuring a powerful simulation engine and flexible data analyzers with interactive parameter sliders.
• VPItoolkit DSP Library Pluggable toolkit of lab-proven electronic Digital Signal Processing algorithms for coherent optical transmission systems, developed by Fraunhofer Heinrich HHI. Includes functions for longitudinal power estimation, nonlinear predistortion filter with Bayesian optimization, and data-aided frequency domain equalization.
• VPItoolkit ML Framework Machine learning add-on enabling implementation and design of deep neural networks (DNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and ML clustering techniques for equalization, nonlinearity mitigation, device characterization, evaluation, and inverse design of photonic devices.
• VPItoolkit QKD Quantum Key Distribution toolkit providing CV- and DV-QKD modules based on weak-coherent prepare-and-measure protocols, including transmitter/receiver modules, parameter estimation, and secret key rate calculation for fiber- and free-space-based QKD systems.
• VPItoolkit PDK HHI Pluggable toolkit extending photonic circuit design with Fraunhofer HHI photonic integrated circuit process design kit support for Multi-Project Wafer runs.
• VPItoolkit PDK LioniX Pluggable toolkit extending photonic circuit design with TriPleX integrated photonics PDK support for LioniX International Multi-Project Wafer runs, enabling rapid design of CMOS-compatible monolithically integrated passive and thermally tunable photonic circuits.
• VPItoolkit PDK LIGENTEC Pluggable toolkit extending photonic circuit design with LIGENTEC photonic integrated circuit process design kit support.
• VPItoolkit PDK SMART Pluggable toolkit extending photonic circuit design with SMART Photonics photonic integrated circuit process design kit support.
• VPItoolkit PDK Infinera Pluggable toolkit extending photonic circuit design with Infinera photonic integrated circuit process design kit support.
• VPItoolkit PDK GPIC Pluggable toolkit providing General Photonic Integrated Circuit PDK building blocks with realistic simulation models for prototyping application-specific PICs. Partnership with Siemens EDA for streamlined photonics design workflow with L-Edit Photonics and S-Edit.
• University Partner Program Worldwide University Partner Program supporting photonics research and curriculum at universities with over 75% license fee discount for educational use, automatic software upgrades, technical assistance via user forum, and access to Photonics Curriculum with 16 course units of lecture notes and laboratory exercises.
• Training Services Comprehensive training series covering optical networks, photonic waveguides, and optical transmission systems, offered as online courses with hands-on sessions and expert guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,600 technical conference and journal papers cite VPIphotonics software
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, strategic, core and regional.

• Keysight TechnologiesflagshipOthers · 9 June 2026Keysight Technologies completed acquisition of VPIphotonics on June 9, 2026. The acquisition adds system-level simulation capabilities to Keysight's photonic design automation portfolio, integrating VPIphotonics Design Suite with Keysight's existing RSoft and Photonic Designer platforms.
• NextCorps LuminatestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Partnership with NextCorps Luminate, the world's largest business accelerator for startups with optics, photonics, and imaging-enabled technologies. Initiative aimed at supporting emerging photonics companies.
• Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz InstitutecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2013Partnership with the Photonic Networks and Systems department of Fraunhofer HHI to provide lab-proven electronic Digital Signal Processing algorithms for coherent optical transmission systems. The VPItoolkit DSP Library is developed by Fraunhofer HHI and integrated as a pluggable toolkit to VPIphotonics products.
• Siemens EDAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership providing streamlined photonics design solution integrating VPIphotonics Design Suite with Siemens L-Edit Photonics (layout editor) and S-Edit (schematic capture). The GPIC Process Design Kit demonstrates interoperability between the platforms.
• LioniX International BVcoreTechnology or IntegrationVPItoolkit PDK LioniX extends VPIcomponentMaker Photonic Circuits by adding support of the TriPleX integrated photonics PDK for Multi-Project Wafer runs offered by LioniX. Enables rapid design of TriPleX-based photonic circuits.
• LIGENTECcoreTechnology or IntegrationVPItoolkit PDK LIGENTEC provides circuit-level support for LIGENTEC's integrated photonics technology platform, enabling application-specific PIC design.
• Synopsys PhoeniX OptoDesignercoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with PhoeniX OptoDesigner layout tool enables export of circuit-level designs from VPIcomponentMaker Photonic Circuits directly to mask layout generation. Uses PDAFlow standard for software interoperability.
• AISAY CorporationregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese distributor and technology trading company based in Yokohama, Japan dealing with state-of-the-art optical and electronic components and software. Exhibits VPIphotonics products at OPIE and other Japan-based events.
• LUSTERregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChinese distributor for VPIphotonics products. Exhibits at CIOE and other China-based photonics industry events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Synopsys (PhoeniX OptoDesigner): Synopsys offers PhoeniX OptoDesigner, the leading layout tool for photonic integrated circuits. It is a directly comparable PIC design platform with similar target customers (PIC designers and foundries) and direct technical integration with VPIcomponentMaker via the PDAFlow standard.
• Ansys (Lumerical): Ansys Lumerical provides FDTD and photonic device simulation tools targeting the same PIC and integrated photonics design customers as VPIdeviceDesigner. Both platforms compete for photonics R&D budgets at semiconductor companies and foundries, and Lumerical is frequently evaluated alongside VPI in PIC design stack selections.
• Luceda Photonics: Luceda Photonics provides IP design tools and services for photonic integrated circuits, including a Python-driven PIC design environment. It targets the same PIC designer customer segment as VPIcomponentMaker and competes directly for MPW-driven foundry design starts.
• COMSOL: COMSOL provides multiphysics simulation software with strong photonics and waveguide optics modules. It competes with VPIdeviceDesigner for device-level and component-level simulation budgets at photonics R&D groups and offers overlapping capability in electromagnetic, thermal, and optical co-simulation.
• RSoft (Synopsys, ex-Lucent): RSoft offers photonic device simulation tools (BeamPROP, FullWAVE, GratingMOD) and is now part of Synopsys following its acquisition. It is the most direct device-level simulation competitor to VPIdeviceDesigner and was previously part of the same Keysight portfolio as VPI, creating overlap and integration opportunities post-Keysight acquisition.
• Photon Design: Photon Design provides FIMMWAVE and other passive photonic device simulation tools targeting integrated photonics and fiber optics design. It is a comparable specialized photonic simulation vendor serving academic and industrial photonics R&D groups with overlapping device-level simulation capabilities to VPI's portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Cadence Design Systems: Cadence is a major EDA vendor that has expanded into photonic design tools and serves an overlapping customer base across photonic and electronic design. As a broad incumbent with significantly larger R&D and enterprise sales coverage, Cadence represents both an integration partner and a long-term competitive threat to specialized photonics EDA players.
• Siemens EDA (L-Edit Photonics): Siemens EDA offers L-Edit Photonics for photonic IC layout and schematic capture. VPI has a direct technical partnership with Siemens EDA via the GPIC PDK, but L-Edit Photonics competes with VPIcomponentMaker for the PIC layout and design entry workflow in photonic foundries and design houses.

Emerging players

• Tidy3D (Flexcompute): Flexcompute's Tidy3D is a cloud-native FDTD electromagnetic solver that has gained rapid adoption in nanophotonics and PIC design. It targets overlapping photonic device and circuit simulation use cases with VPIdeviceDesigner and VPIcomponentMaker, with a differentiated cloud-based delivery model that appeals to academic and startup users.
• OptoDesigner / Phoenix BV (pre-Synopsys): Phoenix BV (now Synopsys) originated PhoeniX OptoDesigner as the leading photonic IC mask layout editor. While it is now part of Synopsys, its historical positioning as a focused photonic EDA specialist makes it a relevant comparable peer for VPI's PIC design toolchain business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/VPIphotonics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vpiphotonics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VPIphotonics