Q.ANT, a leader in photonic processing, has secured €62 million in a Series A financing round to accelerate the commercialization of its energy-efficient photonic processors for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC). The funding was co-led by Cherry Ventures, UVC Partners, and imec.xpand, includes participation from various deep tech investors. This significant investment aims to transform AI computing.
As AI infrastructure grows, traditional chip technology (CMOS) faces physical limitations, leading to stalled performance and unsustainable electricity demands. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that data center energy use could exceed Japan’s annual consumption by 2026. Q.ANT addresses this by using light for computing, which promises higher performance and lower energy consumption.
In just five years, Q.ANT has developed the world’s first commercial photonic processor capable of handling real-world AI and HPC workloads more efficiently. Built on Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN), the Q.ANT Native Processing Server integrates seamlessly into existing data centers and has been shown to improve energy efficiency by up to 30 times and performance by 50 times, potentially increasing data center capacity by 100 times without the need for complex cooling systems.
The funding will help Q.ANT scale production, develop next-generation processors, and expand its team as it enters the US market. The company has also strengthened its advisory board with experts Hermann Hauser and Hermann Eul, whose experience will aid in Q.ANT’s growth.
By 2030, Q.ANT aims to make its photonic processing technology a cornerstone of global AI systems, enhancing scalability and energy efficiency. The Photonic Native Processing Server (NPS) is now available for early access evaluation and is designed to integrate seamlessly with current programming languages and AI software ecosystems, ushering in a new era of sustainable computing.
KEY QUOTES:
“Q.ANT was founded with a bold vision: to redefine the way the world computes by using light instead of electricity. This investment proves that Europe has both the ambition and the capital to lead – and gives us the strong partners we need to pursue our mission and help shape the future of computing.” Q.ANT was founded by Michael Förtsch as a spin-off from TRUMPF in 2018, developing independently light-based data processing.”
Dr. Michael Förtsch, founder and CEO of Q.ANT
“Q.ANT’s photonic chips stand to radically reduce data center operating costs while delivering the breakthrough performance demanded by next-generation AI and high-performance computing. With early commercial momentum and a world-class team of deep tech experts, Q.ANT is uniquely positioned to redefine the trillion-dollar data center semiconductor landscape. We’re proud to back them in building the future of computing.”
Christian Meermann, Founding Partner at Cherry Ventures
“What impressed us about Q.ANT was the clarity of its vision and its ability to consistently deliver on it. Q.ANT is not only pioneering a new computing architecture, but doing so in a way that addresses the urgent need for more sustainable AI infrastructure. That combination of deep tech capability and long-term relevance made this an easy decision for us.”
Andreas Unseld, General Partner at UVC Partners
“Classical CMOS processors are approaching their physical and architectural limits – where further gains through parallelization and smaller structures yield only marginal improvements. In contrast, photonic computing represents a fundamentally new paradigm with immense, largely untapped scaling potential. Q.ANT has solved the core challenges of this technology and is well positioned to define the future of high-performance computing.”
Cyril Vancura, Partner at imec.xpand
“Q.ANT is attacking two of the biggest challenges in photonic computing: integration and precision – while addressing the promise of computational and energy efficiency,” said Bob Sorensen, Senior VP for Research and Chief Analyst for Quantum Computing at Hyperion Research. “Q.ANT is offering an innovative alternative to digital processors with an analog counterpart that can excel at nonlinear and mathematical operations, particularly in AI inference operations, physics simulations, and image analysis, all while demonstrating 99.7% accuracy on the photonic chip across complex computational tasks—proving that analog computing can be accurate, performant and deployable.”
Bob Sorensen, Senior VP for Research and Chief Analyst at Hyperion Research
“By investing in Q.ANT, we’re supporting the next generation of innovations from Baden-Wurttemberg. We believe it will be at the heart of a vibrant new computing ecosystem, providing significant opportunities for sustainable growth, job creation, and enhanced international competitiveness of this innovative region. Q.ANT is far ahead of the global curve within photonic computing, radically transforming the way we process data. This will shape tomorrow’s economy and create lasting value. As the development bank of Baden-Wurttemberg, we support bold entrepreneurs in turning cutting-edge ideas into real impact.“
Johannes Heinloth, Executive Board at L-Bank
“Deep Tech disruption demands courage, foresight and decisive action. Q.ANT set out to redefine the way we compute and we believed in their vision from day one. We backed Q.ANT’s mission with early investment, robust infrastructure, and technical support enabling Q.ANT to develop its breakthrough photonic chip architecture. Now as Q.ANT enters full commercialization, their photonic processors are set to transform performance and energy-efficiency for AI and HPC workloads and we are moving forward alongside a world-class group of partners – united with a shared vision to shape the next level of computing.”
Berthold Schmidt, CTO at TRUMPF
“Q.ANT is an example of how real innovation in Europe is driven with courage, innovative strength, and a common will to create. We are proud that our team of MISSION KI have played a central role in connecting the right partners for this pivotal phase. With exceptional partners at their side, Q.ANT continues to take Europe’s technology to a new level – responsibly, future-oriented and with real impact.”
Manfred Rauhmeier, Chairman of the acatech Foundation and Secretary of the acatech Coordination Committee
