INSIGHTS / News

Light Trace Photonics, a leading innovator in the integrated photonics industry, has announced the close of its first investment round of £600,000.

The company was co-founded by University of Bristol PhD researcher Dr Jake Biele who joined SETsquared Bristol’s incubation programme in May 2024 to commercialise and grow the company.

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

LightCraft offers customers unprecedented access to a comprehensive library of tried-and-tested photonic chip components and subsystems, streamlining the design process and significantly reducing time-to-market. Building upon the foundation laid by Light Trace’s existing hardware product, the LightPort – a photonic chip component evaluation board for rapid prototyping and training – LightCraft represents the next evolution in enabling technology, empowering engineers and companies to develop new photonic products faster and more efficiently.

Combining the LightCraft platform with the LightPort evaluation board:

• Allows engineers to evaluate and test concepts quickly, using pre-existing chips, before committing to fabrication;
• Empowers companies and engineers to demonstrate the superior capabilities of integrated photonics to key stakeholders quickly and more efficiently; and
• Frees up resources for system-level development, expediting product launch.

Dr Jake Biele, CEO of Light Trace, believes LightCraft will mark a turning point in the development of integrated photonics:

“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.”

“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.”

Dr Harry Alexander, Investment Manager at QantX and SETsquared Bristol Investor in Residence is clear about the potential of integrated photonics, and why QantX was keen to invest in Light Trace Photonics:

“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.”