Dutch-based Astrape Networks secures €1.6M to develop energy-efficient data centres with integrated photonics

The Netherlands-based Astrape Networks, a tech startup known for its work in integrated photonics to create faster and more sustainable optical networks, announced that it secured €1.6M in a pre-seed round of funding.

The round was backed by a consortium of notable investors and loan providers, including Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM), Rabobank, Brabant Startup Fonds, TTT Smart Industries, Shift Invest, and PhotonDelta.

With the funding, the company says that Astrape can begin to develop the technology needed to drive future data centres and optical networks, specifically the use of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), to build faster, cooler and more energy-efficient data centres. 

“With the first investment, we will be able to demonstrate the technology in a relevant environment, taking it from laboratory scale to engineering scale. This will show that the technology is viable and keeps its performance and power-saving promises in an industrial setting,” says Francesco Pessolano, CEO of Astrape Networks.

“The investment is key for building a strong core engineering team in networking and photonics that will enable us to develop further towards our first product,” he adds.

Laurens Weers, chief financial officer at PhotonDelta, also mentions that this investment is an important endorsement for the photonics venture-building programme set up by HighTechXL and PhotonDelta.

“The joint programme enables startups working with integrated photonics – such as Astrape  Networks – to get off the ground, create new use-cases for the technology and strengthen the Netherlands’ position as a world leader in integrated photonics,” says Weers.

Energy-efficient data centre

The demand for data centres worldwide is escalating rapidly, driven by the ever-increasing needs of over 5B Internet users in 2023. However, cost and energy efficiency have remained significant challenges.

Existing data networks rely on multiple conversions between electronic and optical signals, consuming substantial amounts of energy in the process. Astrape Networks aims to address this energy inefficiency by minimising electrical-optical conversions, opting to convert to optical signals only at the network edge.

This strategic approach is expected to result in an estimated energy savings of up to 20 per cent at current network speeds, with the potential to increase to approximately 60 per cent as network speeds continue to advance.

About Astrape Networks

Astrape Networks is the result of years of dedicated research and development conducted at the Eindhoven University of Technology. The startup was launched in 2022 through a venture-building programme facilitated by HighTechXL, Europe’s premier deep-tech venture builder and PhotonDelta, a Dutch-based growth accelerator in the photonic chip industry.

The project also received essential support from The Gate, a renowned launchpad for tech startups located in Brainport Eindhoven.

Astrape Networks aims to reduce the energy consumption of data centres through an innovative technology that was initially showcased in 2021 at Eindhoven University of Technology.

The company is based in Brainport, Eindhoven, on the High Tech Campus at the centre of Europe’s fastest-developing Photonics ecosystem. 

Astrape Networks collaborates closely with technology and academic partners who specialise in Photonics for high-bandwidth, low-power and short-range data transmission solutions.