Enlightra, a laser technology startup building chip-scale multiwavelength lasers for next-generation data transmission, has raised $15 million. The funding has enabled Enlightra to develop and demonstrate its multi-color laser technology which connects computing chips in AI clusters faster and more efficiently than copper cables. The multi-color laser technology replaces dozens of discrete lasers with a single integrated source to cut power, cost, and footprint. Each color functions as an independent data channel, creating dozens of high-bandwidth connections from one laser source. Enlightra, with its 25-person team, has designed and built 8- and 16-channel lasers meeting customer specifications for AI chip interconnects, achieving error-free data transmission at target speeds and power levels. Courtesy of Enlightra. “Using more colors is the only way to fully utilize the capacity of modern optical fiber networks,” said John Jost, co-founder and co-CEO of Enlightra. “Our technology enables AI clusters and data centers to scale efficiently by separating performance growth from energy and the cost increases.” Built using industry-standard silicon photonics fabrication processes, Enlightra’s lasers can be produced at massive scale, opening the door to millions of units per year for global data center deployment. Pilot production is slated for 2027. The company’s vision extends far beyond AI clusters. Its scalable comb-laser platform could power future optical links across entire data centers, subsea cables, and even chip-to-memory interconnects. Beyond data center applications, the same technology shows promise for quantum and space-based communications.