Optalysys develops programmable photonic computing systems that use light to compute on data while it is being transported. Their technology brings the efficiency gains of photonic computing into the data path for critical workloads bound by data-movement bottlenecks, such as AI and secure computing. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Optalysys co-founder and Chief Product Officer Nick New to learn more.
Nick New’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? New said:
I’m Nick New, Co-Founder of Optalysys. My journey began in optical computing, pursuing my PhD at Cambridge University in the late 90s, where I focused on optical pattern recognition, a technique to identify patterns using light, and the analysis of high-resolution video frames and images. This early work led to the spinning out of my first company, Cambridge Correlators, which eventually evolved into Optalysys, which I co-founded with our CTO, Robert Todd.
Optalysys is a photonic computing company that uses silicon photonics (light-powered chips) to move and process data faster and more efficiently than conventional electronic processors. Its unique approach integrates data movement and processing on a single chip, combining silicon photonics with cutting-edge digital technologies to deliver the immense computational power required for today’s workloads and next-generation cloud infrastructure.
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? New reflected:
I have so many stories and experiences from working in this space! International meetings and events in the US and Far East are always great experiences.
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? New explained:
Under the right conditions, light can process vast amounts of information at very high speed. Our proprietary chips are designed to move and process data more efficiently and securely. One key application of our technology is fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), which allows data to be processed securely while remaining encrypted — an increasingly important capability for secure cloud and enterprise computing.
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? New acknowledged:
We have tackled many challenges through our development, most notably the ability to build our photonic technology into existing digital processes. Through painstaking design and development, coupled with work in fundamental mathematics, we now have a proposition that will be part of mainstream high-performance computing across a range of application areas. We started many years ago competing against large digital transformation functions, and now we are powering those same digital functions but with an optical base.
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? New noted:
Initially, we focused on processing genetic data and image-based AI models, but we quickly recognized the potential of photonic computing in enhancing data security. Our proprietary photonic chips break through the speed and energy limits of traditional computing. The potential applications are broad, from healthcare, where hospitals could securely share scans for analysis while keeping patient data private, to finance and government.
After years of research and development, we are laser-focused on meeting commercial needs and translating that research into products with our proprietary photonic chips.
Funding/Revenue
Are you able to discuss funding and/or revenue metrics? New revealed:
We are VC-backed and have raised over £40 million to date. Our investors include Northern Gritstone, Lingotto Horizon, Verve Ventures, imec.xpand, and the UK government’s National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF), all of whom recognise the strategic importance of silicon photonics in overcoming the performance and energy constraints of encrypted computing.
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? New assessed:
We are developing a fundamental technology that can address a wide range of compute-intensive workflows, with FHE and secure computing only the first of many areas we will be addressing. FHE on its own is predicted to have a TAM in excess of $100 billion by 2030.
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? New affirmed:
Data has become everyone’s most valuable asset, but today’s electronic computing is increasingly constrained by fundamental limits in speed, bandwidth, and energy efficiency. That’s where photonics offers a step-change; our proprietary chips break through the performance and power limitations of traditional compute. This enables a new class of high-throughput, energy-efficient processing that isn’t achievable with conventional electronic approaches alone. Building on that foundation, we’re developing a programmable, high-density compute layer designed to run compute-intensive workloads, including GenAI and next-generation algorithms, forming a scalable platform for future cloud infrastructure.
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? New concluded:
As we look ahead to the next phase of growth, a key priority is to accelerate commercial growth. This includes international expansion, initially starting with the US market, as we scale the business and take our technology to a global audience.
