Mitsubishi Chemical backs NLM Photonics
- Mitsubishi Chemical’s corporate VC, Diamond Edge Ventures, invested in NLM Photonics as part of the startup’s Series A2 financing round led by Pangaea Ventures.
- NLM develops Selerion™ organic electro‑optic materials for hybrid silicon‑organic photonic integrated circuits that modulate light at higher speed and lower power than inorganic approaches.
- NLM’s materials and processes build on more than two decades of organic electro‑optic research at the University of Washington.
- Mitsubishi Chemical cites rising generative‑AI data‑center demand for high‑speed, low‑power optical interconnects and aims to advance its capabilities under KAITEKI Vision 35.
Deal
Diamond Edge Ventures, Mitsubishi Chemical’s corporate venture capital arm, invested in NLM Photonics as part of the startup’s Series A2 financing round led by Pangaea Ventures.
Technology
NLM’s Selerion™ organic electro‑optic materials—derived from over two decades of research at the University of Washington—are applied to silicon photonic devices to create hybrid silicon‑organic photonic integrated circuits (PICs). These hybrid PICs are presented as capable of modulating light at higher speed and lower power than conventional inorganic approaches.
Strategic rationale
Mitsubishi Chemical says the rapid expansion of generative AI is increasing data‑center traffic and putting pressure on optical interconnects; it views materials used in optical modulation as a source of differentiated device performance. The company intends to strengthen its understanding of next‑generation optical communications and seek business opportunities by leveraging its materials technologies under its KAITEKI Vision 35 focus on enabling advanced data processing and telecommunications.
Source: Mitsubishi Chemical
