Valencia-based iPronics has raised Series A funding to develop its Optical Networking Engine, enhancing next-gen AI data centres with faster, scalable, and energy-efficient communication.
iPronics, a Spanish company specialising in software-defined photonic engines, has raised €20M in a Series A funding round to develop its Optical Networking Engine (ONE) technology. This advancement aims to enhance next-generation AI data centres with faster, scalable, and energy-efficient communication. The funding was led by Triatomic Capital, with participation from Fine Structure Ventures, Bosch Ventures, Amadeus Capital Partners, and Criteria Venture Tech.
Building a brighter AI future with light-speed optical networking
iPronics, a spinoff of the Technical University of Valencia and beneficiary of an EIC Transition Grant envisions a future where AI compute demands do not strain data centre infrastructure. The company’s Optical Networking Engine aims to enable fast, low-latency, and adaptable optical interconnects, improving the management of AI workloads and allowing for larger GPU domains and enhanced resource efficiency.
“iPronics technology will enable larger GPU domains with fast optical interconnects, increasing training compute capacity and providing low latency inference,” explained Christian Dupont, CEO of iPronics. “This investment will accelerate our Optical Circuit Switch market deployment, allowing customers to build next-gen AI infrastructure.”
Next-gen optical networking switches address AI data centre challenges
Current electronic switches in AI data centres often struggle to keep up with increasing bandwidth demands, resulting in limited GPUs per server and a rigid infrastructure that hinders efficiency. iPronics ONE technology addresses these limitations by introducing an optically switched fabric for AI architectures. Its innovative design allows on-the-fly topology changes, 1000x faster reconfiguration than other optical solutions, and seamless programmability down to the physical layer.
Additionally, iPronics’ solid-state chip design ensures lossless operation, higher reliability, and a lower cost-per-port, making it a game-changer for data centre management.
Peter Zhou, General Partner at Triatomic Capital, commented: “iPronics has the unique technology and team to advance photonics adoption in data centres and AI clusters. We believe network fabrics operating entirely at the speed of light are essential to the next-generation compute stack. We are excited to support iPronics’ efforts to accelerate next-gen AI infrastructure performance.”
Backing the optical future of AI infrastructure
The funding has drawn strong endorsements from industry leaders. Dr Ingo Ramesohl, Managing Director of Bosch Ventures, shared, “We believe iPronics is well-positioned to lead the rapidly expanding use of Optical Circuit Switches (OCS) in AI Data Centres market, which will increasingly rely on optical networks.”
Meanwhile, Josué J. López, Next Gen Computing Lead at Fine Structure Ventures, added, “This investment aligns with our focus on next-gen computing driving innovation. We are very impressed by the photonics team at iPronics and the OCS solution they have developed. FSV sees strong synergies between iPronics’ expertise and our strengths in deep-tech companies.”
A new era for AI data centres
iPronics’ €20M Series A funding marks a pivotal milestone for the company, underlining the transformative potential of its Optical Networking Engine in reshaping AI data centre infrastructure. By harnessing the power of light, iPronics aims to deliver unprecedented speed, efficiency, and scalability, propelling AI innovation into a new era.
With this injection of capital, iPronics is set to accelerate its mission of creating future-proof solutions that redefine how data centres operate in an increasingly AI-driven world.
