Startup in Stuttgart receives 62 million euros to address AI's energy concerns using Cherry and UVC technology.
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, two deep-tech startups based in Germany are making significant strides in the field of photonic computing. Q.ANT, having recently secured €62 million (approximately $67 million) in a Series-A funding round, and Black Semiconductor, a lesser-known but promising contender from Aachen, are poised to revolutionise the way computers process data.
Q.ANT, with its focus on photonic AI processors, has been making waves in the industry. The company's technology, which uses light for data processing, has the potential to offer up to 30 times higher energy efficiency and 50 times better performance. This could address the growing energy problems of AI, a concern that experts have raised, fearing a potential lack of electricity in the future due to the increasing energy demands of AI.
The funding round, the largest European investment in photonic computing to date, will enable Q.ANT to scale up production, expand its team, and enter the US and Asian markets. The International Energy Agency's estimate of data center energy consumption exceeding Japan's annual electricity consumption by 2026 remains relevant, highlighting the need for more efficient solutions like those offered by Q.ant. With the capacity of data centers potentially increasing by 100 times with Q.ant's technology, the company is well-positioned to meet this growing demand.
Trumpf, the machine tool manufacturer, remains the largest single shareholder in Q.ANT after the funding round, holding around one fifth of the shares. Q.ant's technology has already been demonstrated publicly through live demonstrations of its photonic Native Processing Server (NPS) at ISC 2025, allowing attendees hands-on interaction with their light-powered computing systems. The company is also noted as one of the first companies to unveil a commercial photonic AI processor, indicating they are moving toward practical deployment.
Meanwhile, Black Semiconductor, while less prominent in recent updates and detailed press coverage, is working on a solution to the problem of increasing computing demand. The company secured funding of 254.4 million euros in June 2024, making it the second largest European investment in photonic computing, after Q.ant's Series-A round. The solution offered by Black Semiconductor could potentially solve the issue of chips not being able to be made any smaller at some point, a problem that traditional chip technology is reaching physical limits with. The founders of Black Semiconductor have developed semiconductors based on the integration of graphene and photonics.
Comparing the two startups, Q.ANT is accelerating in commercial photonic AI computing and scaling production successfully, distinguishing itself through recent funding and demonstration milestones. They are positioned as a formidable competitor in classical photonic processors, while PsiQuantum, a leading player in quantum photonic computing, is focusing on large-scale quantum computing using silicon photonics, with applications stretching across AI, battery design, and high-performance computing.
In contrast, Black Semiconductor has less public momentum currently compared to these peers. However, the continued development and investment in photonic computing solutions indicate a growing response to the growing energy problems of AI and the physical limits of traditional chip technology. As these startups continue to innovate and grow, the future of computing looks brighter and more efficient than ever before.
What could the technology of Q.ANT, data-and-cloud-computing's potential game-changer, offer in the face of growing energy problems? Increased energy efficiency by up to 30 times and better performance by 50 times.
Despite lesser media coverage, Black Semiconductor, a player in the field of data-and-cloud-computing, is working on a solution that aims to address the issue of physical limits in traditional chip technology.
