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.