Ephos, a producer of glass-based photonic integrated circuits, has expanded its operations and closed an $8.5 million funding round. Per the expansion, the company has opened a research and manufacturing facility in Milan, Italy. The site provides the capacity and resources necessary for Ephos to scale its proprietary chip manufacturing technology as it expands its partnerships across the quantum technologies industry.

Alongside its Milan headquarters and new manufacturing facility, the funding will also go towards growing its San Francisco team. The funding round included nondilutive components from the European Innovation Council and NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic.