Enlightra Secures $15M to Develop Optical Data Transmission for AI GPU Clusters

Enlightra, a Swiss-American startup, has raised $15 million in funding from investors including Y Combinator and Runa Capital to develop chip-scale lasers for data transmission in AI data centers. Founded in 2022 by Maxim Karpov and John Jost, the company aims to replace copper cables with optical technology, which is faster and more energy-efficient.

Enlightra's technology uses a single laser to produce over 50 colors of light, creating multiple high-speed data channels. The market for such technology is projected by McKinsey to reach $24 billion by 2030. Pilot production is set to begin in 2027, targeting GPU clusters used by major AI firms, with plans for scaling to full rack-level connections and undersea fiber links.