Deeptech startup LightSpeed Photonics raises $6.5 million in funding led by pi Ventures, others

LightSpeed Photonics, a deeptech startup building optical interconnects for data centres that support AI and high-performance computing, has raised $6.5 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by pi Ventures.

With this round, the startup has raised a total of $8.5 million so far.

The round also saw participation from 500 Global, India Accelerator, and returning backers 8X Ventures and Java Capital. Several Bay Area angel investors joined the round as well.

Founded in 2021 by Rohin Y and Ramana Pamidighantam, LightSpeed Photonics is developing compact and energy-efficient optical interconnects designed to improve data movement in AI and HPC systems. Its short-wavelength laser technology is built to deliver higher speeds, lower power use, and a smaller hardware footprint.

Rohin Y, who is also the CEO of LightSpeed Photonics, said, “AI workloads are driving exponential data growth, and existing interconnect solutions simply cannot keep up. Our technology bridges that gap by enabling faster, denser, and more energy-efficient data links without requiring costly system re-designs. This funding allows us to accelerate time to market and scale our collaborations with partners worldwide.”

LightSpeed Photonics said it plans to set up a dedicated R&D facility to improve turnaround time for pilot deployments. The new capital will also support joint development activities with OEM, EMS and ODM partners as the company moves toward commercial pilots in emerging data centre infrastructure.

Manish Singhal, Founding Partner at pi Ventures, said, “LightSpeed's high speed optical interconnect product family is engineered to address a major hurdle of data movement in large-scale AI and cloud computing, by delivering significantly faster data transfer and at the same time drastically reducing energy consumption. Their innovation allows system upgrades without redesigning entire architectures - a game-changer for hyperscale data infrastructure. We’re excited to back a deep tech team that’s solving a global-scale infrastructure challenge from India.”