Semiconductor innovator Volantis has officially emerged from stealth, introducing a breakthrough photonic compute platform designed to transform AI infrastructure. Backed by $9 million in seed funding, the round saw participation from industry stalwarts including Alex Wang (Scale AI), Trevor Blackwell (Y Combinator), and Sam Altman, who has supported Volantis since 2022.
At a time when the limitations of traditional silicon-based systems are straining the rapid growth of AI, Volantis is pioneering a completely new photonic compute architecture. Unlike existing silicon photonics solutions that have struggled to scale efficiently, Volantis leverages direct laser modulation and wafer-scale integration to create ultra-efficient, chip-scale systems capable of handling the data-intensive demands of modern AI workloads.
Revolutionizing Chip Communication with Photonics
Founded in 2022, Volantis is the first company to successfully address the long-standing barriers to in-computer photonics. By integrating directly modulated lasers with dense optical waveguides, Volantis has unlocked a system that delivers 15 times better performance per dollar compared to traditional approaches. This advancement significantly reduces energy consumption and increases compute speed, packing server-level capabilities into a compact, energy-efficient chip.
“We’re not just building a slightly better AI chip,” said Tapa Ghosh, Founder and CEO of Volantis. “We’ve solved the core challenges that have prevented photonics from scaling inside computers. Our technology uses low-power, low-cost lasers in parallel optical channels to achieve unprecedented performance and efficiency for AI compute.”
Addressing the AI Bottleneck: Bandwidth and Power
The biggest hurdle in scaling AI systems today is the bandwidth and power required to transfer data between chips. While photonics has been seen as a potential solution, traditional silicon photonics has not delivered the scalability needed for in-system communication. Volantis changes this paradigm by introducing energy-efficient optical interconnects that provide massive parallel bandwidth with significantly lower power requirements.
According to Clint Schow, leading photonics researcher and advisor to Volantis, “This architecture builds on proven VCSEL laser technology and scales it to a level that supports wafer-scale AI processors. Volantis is not iterating on old solutions—they are building what the future of AI compute will need.”
Backed by Industry Experts and Proven Talent
The Volantis team includes top optical and hardware engineers from companies like Ayar Labs, Lightmatter, Marvell, Rockley, Infinera, Lumentum, Juniper, and Skorpios. Co-founder and CTO Roy Meade brings extensive experience from his leadership roles at Ayar Labs and Micron, where he spearheaded High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) development.
With working patent-pending prototypes already in place, Volantis is poised to advance the photonic compute platform from the lab to real-world applications.
Next Steps for Volantis
The newly secured funding will enable Volantis to further develop its chip architecture, expand its engineering team, and begin early engagements with potential customers. This technology is positioned to set new standards for AI computing efficiency, scalability, and sustainability.