Investing in a leading position in the world of photonics

Fotonics is a chip technology that uses light signals (photons) instead of electrical signals (electrons). In a photonic chip, light signals can be generated, switched, filtered, and detected. The photonics technology developed by EFFECT Photonics is the only one in which all these functions can be combined into a single chip. This allows a complete optical system to be replaced by a single chip. With these photonic chips, high-speed data transmission over fibre optic cables is possible, but the technology can also be used to create very sensitive measurement systems, which find applications in fields such as the medical industry, automotive, and the agricultural-food industry. Future quantum computers will also extensively utilise photonic chips.

Boudewijn: “Our products also enable network builders to increase the capacity of existing fibre optic networks without having to lay additional cables underground. The demand for internet bandwidth is growing rapidly each year. Especially with the rollout of 5G connections and the increase in remote working, this trend has accelerated. Upgrading transceivers is therefore a cost-effective solution. Our products make data and telecom networks faster, more flexible, and more efficient, allowing the capacity of the network to grow exponentially without increasing energy consumption.”

High-tech scale-ups are often capital-intensive and require a long investment horizon, longer than most private financial entities can offer. EFFECT Photonics is a good example of this. Frits: “The nice thing about our contribution is that we not only help EFFECT Photonics to scale up, but also help strengthen the photonics cluster in the Netherlands.”

The relationship between Invest-NL and EFFECT Photonics has been long-established. Even before the official founding of Invest-NL, there was contact between the entrepreneurs and various team members of Invest-NL. Boudewijn: “The connection was immediate. We are both start-ups with big ambitions, so that was very relatable.” Frits adds: “The Effect Photonics team is professional and internationally oriented, which makes the collaboration always very pleasant.” Frits, as an industry expert in telecom and the semiconductor industry, has been involved throughout the process. Boudewijn: “Apart from Frits, we have also had a lot of contact with Reda Atibi and Ruud Zandvliet. It’s a great team of ambitious professionals. Recently, Ewout Ruijs has become our main contact person. Ewout and Frits are now our primary sparring partners.”

Creating social impact with technology is second nature for Boudewijn and Frits. And in this, the Netherlands can take the initiative. Frits: “Certainly. Many deeptech scale-ups play an important role in addressing societal transition challenges, not only in the energy transition and sustainability, but also in healthcare, food provision, or safety. Technology will play a key role here. The Netherlands has a strong position in the field of Hightech Systems and Materials (HTSM), such as photonics, nano- or quantum technology, but also in Life Sciences or technologies for making chemistry more sustainable. By bringing this knowledge to market through entrepreneurship and subsequently exporting it, we can make a significant impact worldwide as a small country!
Boudewijn fully agrees: “I believe that a fast and efficient communication network is an enabling infrastructure for many innovations that make our society more sustainable, safer, and healthier. I hope that technological progress can help us solve the major challenges of this era: climate change, food scarcity, poverty/inequality. However, this will also require a change in behaviour. Gaining more insight into which actions truly have an impact is important here. I also believe that good information provision and data processing are crucial. I hope we can contribute to this and help lead the way for the Netherlands.”