French Startup Scintil Photonics Raises €50 Million In Series B Round

The round was led by Yotta Capital Partners and NGP Capital, with NVIDIA participating, alongside BNP Paribas Développement and existing investors.

“This investment marks a pivotal moment for Scintil as we move to full-scale deployment,” said Matt Crowley CEO of Scintil Photonics. “Our SHIP technology enables integrated photonic solutions with the scalability, energy efficiency and integration density required to power next-generation compute infrastructure. This efficiency not only reduces data centre operating costs but also contributes to lowering the carbon footprint of AI infrastructure.

“With LEAF Light entering high-volume production, we’re expanding from our base in Grenoble into the international markets, including the U.S., to support the world’s most advanced AI factories.”

Founded in 2018, Scintil Photonics develops integrated Photonic System-on-Chip (PSoC) solutions for AI infrastructure. Using its proprietary SHIP process, the company enables high-performance optical interconnects for large-scale GPU clusters with next-generation co-packaged optics (CPO).

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Its flagship product, LEAF Light™, is a single-chip, DWDM-native light engine for high-density optical connectivity. The new funding will support global hiring, accelerate production, and strengthen Scintil’s international presence as it delivers the first single-chip DWDM light engine integrating multi-wavelength lasers with silicon photonics for next-gen CPO.

“We developed our LEAF Light integrated circuit in close collaboration with our customers. Used as an external laser source for CPO transmissions, it is a key component for the next generation of AI data centres. Its uniqueness lies in a single-chip solution that monolithically integrates precisely spaced DFB lasers on silicon photonic circuits, produced through a robust commercial supply chain,” said Sylvie Menezo, Founder and CTO of Scintil Photonics. “Our SHIP technology provides a strong and disruptive foundation to expand our portfolio of integrated photonic circuit solutions for the coming decades.”

Scintil’s proprietary SHIP (Scintil Heterogeneous Integration Photonics) process integrates multiple optical components lasers, photodiodes, and modulators onto a single chip. This replaces dozens of separate parts with one solution, achieving unprecedented performance, efficiency, and integration density.

Originating from CEA-Leti, a global leader in semiconductor research, Scintil benefits from a strong foundation in disruptive heterogeneous silicon integration.

“Scintil exemplifies the kind of innovation leaders we look for, combining advanced manufacturing, deep-tech leadership, and meaningful impact on the energy demands of AI infrastructure,” said Vincent Deltrieu, Managing Partner at Yotta Capital Partners. “Scintil’s integrated photonics platform is essential to scale the next generation of AI factories. We’re excited to support their global growth as they move to high-volume shipments.”

The Series B funding will accelerate the commercial rollout of LEAF Light, Scintil’s DWDM-native light engine designed for next-generation CPO. By outputting multiple precisely spaced wavelengths, it boosts bandwidth while cutting energy use, helping reduce AI data center carbon footprints.

Built on the SHIP™ platform, LEAF Light delivers low-power, high-density optical connectivity 6.4 Tbps/mm edge bandwidth at about one-sixth the power of conventional solutions. Engineered for scalable GPU clusters and emerging AI systems, it comes with reference packaging and integration support to speed deployment.

“Integrated photonics is becoming a foundation of all AI infrastructure, and Scintil is turning that future into reality,” said Bo Ilsoe, Managing Partner at NGP Capital. “Their technology delivers the bandwidth density and energy efficiency AI factories require with global scalability. We’re excited to support Scintil as they scale deployments and become a leading player in building the next wave of compute and data infrastructure.”

The funding will allow Scintil to expand hiring in France and internationally, including the U.S., from its strategic Grenoble base. Situated in Europe’s advanced semiconductor hub, the company benefits from proximity to CEA-Leti and leading global semiconductor firms, gaining access to top talent and a collaborative innovation ecosystem.

As part of its growth plan, Scintil is also establishing a U.S. presence to engage directly with hyperscale and AI infrastructure partners.

Alan Weckel, Co-founder and Technology Analyst, 650 Group, commented, “As the number of XPUs and AI bandwidth grows, scale-up fabrics will need to transition away from copper to optical-based solutions. AI data centers will move toward co-packaged optics and external DWDM light sources.

“Scale-up networking is an incremental opportunity for vendors, with the market set to exceed $25 billion by 2029. By the end of the decade, the whole AI Networking opportunity will approach $100 billion per year. Scintil stands out for bringing a manufacturable, foundry-aligned platform into the mix. Reliability and quickly scaling to volume are the only way hyperscalers can scale to the AI demand they plan to deploy this decade.”

About Scintil Photonics

Founded in 2018, Scintil Photonics delivers integrated Photonic System-on-Chip (PSoC) solutions for AI infrastructure. Its SHIP™ process enables high-performance optical interconnects for large-scale GPU clusters. LEAF Light™, a single-chip DWDM-native light engine, provides high-density connectivity. Headquartered in Grenoble with North American operations, Scintil is expanding globally.