Insider Brief
- Lumotive raised $45M in Series B funding, co-led by Gates Frontier and MetaVC Partners, to accelerate sales of its Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) technology, which enables advanced optical semiconductor applications.
- The investment will drive expansion into AI data centers and satellite communications, leveraging LCM™ Beam Steering technology to enhance high-performance optical switching for AI-driven networks and hyperscale infrastructure.
- With proven success in automotive, robotics, and industrial markets, Lumotive is scaling globally to meet demand, further establishing its programmable optics as a transformative technology in next-generation computing and sensing.
PRESS RELEASE — Lumotive, a leader in programmable optical semiconductor products, has closed a $45 million Series B funding round to accelerate sales growth of its groundbreaking Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) technology. The oversubscribed round was co-led by Gates Frontier and MetaVC Partners, with participation from new strategic investors including Swisscom Ventures, East Bridge, Edom, Grazia, Hokuyo Inc. and TSVC, as well as support from existing investors such as Himax Inc., Quan Funds, and USAA Ventures.
“Lumotive’s unique technology represents a fundamental advance in optical semiconductors,” said Pär Lange, Investment Partner at Swisscom Ventures. “Their proven success in automotive and industrial markets, combined with their ability to precisely control light at the chip level, enables applications that were previously impossible.”
“This funding marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of programmable optics,” said Dr. Sam Heidari, CEO of Lumotive. “Our LCM™ technology has already driven innovation across autonomous vehicles, advanced robotics, and industrial applications. With this new investment, we will accelerate sales in other new markets, particularly in AI data centers and satellite communications.”
This new funding will accelerate growth in three strategic areas:
Global Market Expansion: The company is scaling its operations worldwide to meet growing demand from customers and partners in critical industries. By strengthening its international presence, it will provide responsive, localized support and customized solutions tailored to specific technical and business needs.
Data Center AI Infrastructure : Advancing high-performance optical switching solutions, the company is reshaping data center architectures. Its innovative two-dimensional LCM™ Beam Steering technology enables ultra-reliable optical circuit switches with thousands of ports and rapid switching speeds, addressing the demands of hyperscale and AI-driven networks. This technology is being deployed to support AI model training, real-time analytics, and energy-efficient hyperscale infrastructure management.
“Having supported Lumotive since its earliest days, we’ve witnessed the rapid evolution of the company’s core technology and its expansion into diverse global markets,” said Conrad Burke, Managing Partner at MetaVC Partners. “This new funding round marks an exciting milestone in the company’s growth.”
About Lumotive
Lumotive’s award-winning programmable optical semiconductors improve perception, increase computing power, and enable reliable high-speed communication in various industries. The Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) chip is a patented, software-defined photonic beamforming solid-state technology. As the first of its kind, it meets essential needs in various sectors, including 3D sensing and AI computing. Lumotive was named Fast Company’s Next Big Thing in Tech and won three CES Innovation Awards.
