Amersfoort-based FiberUnlimited raises €5M to expand plastic optical fibre tech

Amersfoort, the Netherlands-based FiberUnlimited, a company that uses ultralight Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) cables for sustainable network connectivity, announced on Friday that it has secured €5M in a Seed round of funding. 

The company says it will use the proceeds to focus on international growth and for the further development of its products and services to make networking connectivity for real estate more sustainable. The funds will also be used to get buildings ready for the growing demand for fast indoor networks.

Investors in this round

The investment came from FORWARD.one and Oost NL.

FORWARD.one is a VC fund focused on high-tech hardware startups and scale-ups. The firm manages €200M across multiple funds, with investments in robotics, semiconductors, photonics, sensors, virtual/augmented reality, biomanufacturing, and audio technology.

Oost NL (East Netherlands Development Agency) focuses its activities and projects on strengthening and stimulating the economy of the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel in the Netherlands. The firm backs starting and growth-phase SMEs. It does this partly with risk capital from various revolving innovation funds, and partly through knowledge, networks and personal contacts.

Gijs Luesken, Investment Manager TECH at Oost NL, says, “With this investment, FiberUnlimited can continue to develop its technology, which ensures less e-waste and better utilisation of infrastructure. In betting on a more circular economy, fewer primary raw materials are needed and we create less waste. We are pleased that we are involved with a party such as FiberUnlimited, which is working to implement the circular transition.”

FiberUnlimited: Everything you need to know

Founded in 2015 and led by Steven Bleker, who is now the CEO, FiberUnlimited is a scale-up that provides products, services and full network solutions for in-door Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) networks.

FiberUnlimited seeks to use improved, low-energy networks to help create a society that is more sustainable and well-run. With its own development and manufacturing, FiberUnlimited claims to be the industry leader in POF solutions and products. The company aims to set a new global standard for indoor networks.

With the help of LED technology, FiberUnlimited created a network technology based on Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) that enables ultrafast and dependable optical data transfers at the speed of light. According to the company, this network technology reduces material costs by up to 90 per cent and energy costs by up to 40 per cent when compared to conventional copper networks, making it a viable and sustainable option for network connectivity across a range of businesses. The company says the easy plug-and-play integration reduces installation time by more than 50 per cent.

Steven Bleker says, “POF prepares buildings for the future with smart connectivity that makes real estate ready for the needs of current and future tenants. It enables a sustainable indoor network that is fully circular and a flexible and scalable ethernet network that adapts to the demands of the time. This could mean a sound system, cameras, wifi access points, or Bluetooth beacons today, but in the future, it could involve systems for flying drones. Our infrastructure is already prepared for the limitless future possibilities for any building.” 

Major firms in the real estate sector have already picked up on the advantages of FiberUnlimited’s technology. The company is preparing to implement its technology at NedCargo’s totally refurbished Soesterberg distribution facility. Additionally, it is collaborating with VolkerWessels Logistics and Delta Development to deploy its technology in the brand-new, sustainable HelloWorld at Schiphol. 

Vos Transport’s new distribution facility in Zaltbommel, which was created in partnership with Intospace as a Living Lab, and the ARA Almelo, created by Stellar Development in partnership with Heembouw, will also use FiberUnlimited’s technology. Both of these buildings will be outfitted with POF infrastructure integrated into the lighting, enabling them to meet tenants’ connectivity needs now and in the future.