Surface Coupling Laser Technology Secures £2.93 Million in Funding to Revolutionize Semiconductor Laser Manufacturing

Vector Photonics is thrilled to announce that they have secured £1.667 million in equity investment and an additional £1.27 million in research funding to support the commercialization of their Surface Coupling Laser (SCL) technology. This groundbreaking technology has the potential to revolutionize semiconductor laser manufacturing and improve performance in a variety of applications, including data centers, co-located optics, AI, printing, LiDAR, and optical sensing.

The successful funding round brings Vector Photonics’ total funding to nearly £3 million, which will enable the company to continue developing and commercializing their innovative surface emitting laser technologies. The equity investment comes from four companies: Foresight WAE Technology (FWT) Funds, UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S), Equity Gap, and Scottish Enterprise. Each of these equity investors specializes in next-generation technology and early-stage investments, with a focus on supporting high-growth companies with innovative technologies.

In addition to the equity investment, Vector Photonics also received an additional research funding of £1.27 million for two projects: FRONTIERS and GRAPHICS. The FRONTIERS project is a revenue-generating development project for free-space optics funded by the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), while the GRAPHICS project is an Innovate UK-funded grant in collaboration with the University of Glasgow to develop Gallium Nitride (GaN) material processing expertise. This collaboration could lead to the creation of blue and green lasers that consume significantly less power than equivalent LEDs.

Vector Photonics CEO Neil Martin expressed his excitement about the successful funding round, stating that it will allow the company to continue pushing boundaries in surface emitting laser technology development and commercialization. With this financial boost, Vector Photonics can further enhance its portfolio of innovative laser technologies and continue its mission to transform industries through advanced photonics solutions.