Deeptech startup LightSpeed Photonics raises $6.5M led by Pi Ventures

LightSpeed Photonics, a deeptech startup working on optical interconnect technology for data centres supporting AI and high-performance computing, has raised $6.5 million in a pre-Series A round led by pi Ventures.

The round also saw participation from 500 Global, Indian Accelerator, and returning investors 8X Ventures, Java Capital, and several Bay Area angels. The company has now raised about $8.5 million to date, including grants.

The company said it plans to establish an R&D facility to accelerate pilot turnaround. The latest round will also support its collaborations with OEM, EMS, and ODM partners as it moves toward commercialising its product line through pilot projects in emerging data-center infrastructure.

Founded in 2021 by Rohin Y and Ramana Pamidighantam, LightSpeed Photonics is developing compact, energy-efficient optical interconnects intended to improve data movement in AI and high-performance computing systems. The company says its short-wavelength laser technology can offer higher speeds, lower power use, and a smaller hardware footprint, with potential applications across AI, HPC, edge computing, telecommunications, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing.

Our mission is to break through the data bottlenecks that limit the scale of AI and advanced computing,” said Rohin Y, Founder and CEO, LightSpeed Photonics.

“AI workloads are driving exponential data growth, and existing interconnect solutions simply cannot keep up. Our technology bridges that gap by enabling faster, denser, and more energy-efficient data links without requiring costly system redesigns. This funding allows us to accelerate time to market and scale our collaborations with partners worldwide.”

Manish Singhal, Founding Partner at pi Ventures, said, “LightSpeed's high speed optical interconnect product family is engineered to address a major hurdle of data movement in large-scale AI and cloud computing, by delivering significantly faster data transfer and at the same time drastically reducing energy consumption. Their innovation allows system upgrades without redesigning entire architectures - a game-changer for hyperscale data infrastructure. We’re excited to back a deep tech team that’s solving a global-scale infrastructure challenge from India.”

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Edited by Megha Reddy