8.5 million US dollars seed for Ephos

Ephos secures $8.5 million in seed funding and opens first manufacturing facility for glass-based quantum photonics chips in Milan

Milan/San Francisco, September 2024 - Ephos, a provider of glass-based photonics chips, announces the closing of an $8.5 million seed funding round and the opening of a state-of-the-art research and manufacturing facility in Milan. This first facility specializing in the development and production of glass-based quantum photonics circuits marks another milestone in the scaling of Ephos' proprietary chip technology.

Seed funding round and leading investors

The seed round was led by Starlight Ventures, a US-based VC specializing in deep tech investments. Other participants include Collaborative Fund, Exor Ventures, 2100 Ventures, Unruly Capital, Green Sands Equity, Silicon Roundabout Ventures and the Club degli Investitori. Angel investors include industry veterans such as Joe Zadeh (former Vice President of Airbnb), Diego Piacentini (former Senior Vice President at Amazon) and Simone Severini (Quantum Technologies, Amazon Web Services). The funding includes non-dilutive contributions from the European Innovation Council (EIC) and NATO's Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA).

With this capital, Ephos has opened its new research and production facility in the Milano Innovation District (MIND). This tech hub is one of the most ambitious in Europe and will be the center for product innovation and manufacturing of glass-based photonics chips. In addition to the expansion in Milan, the capital will also be invested in the growth of the team in San Francisco.

Glass-based photonic chips revolutionize quantum computing and infrastructure

In contrast to conventional silicon-based technologies, Ephos uses glass as the substrate for its photonic chips. These chips significantly improve the scalability and performance of quantum computing, communication and sensor technologies. They offer best-in-class performance in minimizing signal loss, one of the biggest obstacles in quantum computing. Ephos' novel 3D design and manufacturing capabilities also open up opportunities for scaling and improving system performance.

With our technology, we are laying the foundation for the next generation of computing infrastructures by not only addressing energy inefficiencies but also improving performance in key industries.

Andrea Rocchetto, CEO and co-founder of Ephos

In addition to quantum computing applications, Ephos' photonic chips also offer solutions for traditional applications, such as data centers, which are struggling with increasing energy demands due to the use of AI. Ephos offers a sustainable option here, as photonics-based chips can significantly reduce energy consumption.

Independence from international supply chains and strategic advantages

With all chip production in-house and a supply chain that relies exclusively on US and EU suppliers, Ephos offers geopolitical and strategic security. This is of particular interest to NATO and its member states as Ephos develops critical quantum infrastructure within the NATO technology ecosystem, strengthening strategic independence in this cutting-edge field. Ephos was also selected for the second phase of the DIANA acceleration program and received a total of 450,000 euros in non-dilutive funding.