Akhetonics, a start-up focused on all-optical digital processors, raised €6 million in a funding round led by Matterwave Ventures. Other participants include 468 Capital, Bayern Kapital, and existing investors such as Runa Capital and Rheingau Founders. The funding will enable Akhetonics to deliver its first-generation hardware to pilot customers, targeting sectors where high performance and energy efficiency are critical.
Akhetonics’ core technology is centered around its fully optical digital processor, which uses photonics to perform computation and data storage. Unlike conventional systems that rely on electrons and electronic circuits, Akhetonics leverages light to achieve unparalleled processing speeds, deterministic timing, and dramatically reduced energy consumption. Their architecture bypasses the limitations of the von Neumann bottleneck by integrating digital control flow and analog acceleration in a unified optical framework. This design allows for real-time, energy-efficient processing ideal for compute-intensive tasks, such as AI workloads and dual-use applications, while maintaining high scalability and versatility for general-purpose computing.
Akhetonics integrates photonic hardware, design automation tools, and software in a single full-stack solution. Headquartered in Berlin and Munich, Akhetonics plans to introduce its first full-scale all-optical processor to select customers within the next few years.
• Funding Raised: €6 million, led by Matterwave Ventures with contributions from 468 Capital, Bayern Kapital, and existing investors.
• Technology: All-optical digital processors process and store data using photons, not electrons, for superior speed and energy efficiency.
• Target Industries: Aviation, defense, networking, and AI-focused sectors.
• Manufacturing Approach: European-based supply chain using mature semiconductor nodes.
• Headquarters: Berlin and Munich.
“Many companies that claim to use optical computing rely on hybrid approaches with electronics,” said Michael Kissner, CEO of Akhetonics. “In contrast, we’re delivering an all-optical, general-purpose processor with real-time performance that surpasses the limits of traditional technologies.”
- Akhetonics was founded in 2021 by CEO Michael Kissner and CTO Leonardo Del Bino.
