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Swave Photonics, a company specializing in holographic displays, has successfully secured $28.27 million in funding to enhance its development of components for artificial intelligence-powered smartglasses and heads-up displays.
The latest funding round, part of a Series A investment, is intended to propel the progression of Swave’s Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR) platform. This advancement aims to create an immersive experience for users of AI-driven augmented reality (AR) smartglasses and heads-up displays. Swave plans to showcase its innovative technology at the upcoming CES 2025 event.
The investment was collaboratively led by Imec.xpand and SFPIM Relaunch, and attracted funds from new investors including the EIC Fund, IAG Capital Partners, and Murata Electronics North America, alongside contributions from existing stakeholders such as Qbic Fund, PMV, Imec, and Luminate.
Based in Leuven, Belgium, Swave previously achieved a milestone of $10.47 million in seed funding during 2023, which facilitated the inception of its HXR technology and allowed the company to expand its team with experts from the fields of photonics and semiconductors.
Mike Noonen, the CEO of Swave, emphasized the impact of this funding round, stating, “This round will accelerate Swave’s product introductions as we continue to solve the challenges of today’s AR experiences through true holography. We are thrilled with continued support from our existing investors and our new investors. They recognize that Swave uniquely brings together semiconductor, holographic, and AI technologies in a way that will deliver cost-effective and truly useful solutions.”
The company is focusing on delivering NanoPixel holography technology designed for glasses.
According to Theo Marescaux, Swave’s Chief Product Officer, “AR glasses are set to become the primary interface for AI-powered spatial computing and other applications, and Swave is uniquely positioned to enable this future. We are co-designing every element—from our holographic spatial light modulators with cutting-edge nano-pixels to real-time compute chips, light engines, and AR combiners—delivering the most advanced and integrated solution yet.”
Dmitri Choutov, COO of Swave, noted, “With Swave’s seed funding, we successfully built our team, proved the capabilities of the technology, and completed prototype designs. With Series A funding secured and silicon running at our partner fabs, we are on track to introduce product development kits and soon thereafter production devices.”
Swave’s HXR technology employs what it claims to be the “world’s smallest pixel” to manipulate light and create high-quality, three-dimensional holographic images. This technology is designed to facilitate a user-friendly experience where digital information can seamlessly interact with and adapt to the user’s environment, utilizing patented DynamicDepth technology to enhance visual processing.
Current AR devices on the market face multiple challenges, including high costs, bulkiness, substantial power consumption, and visual issues like Vergence-Accommodation Conflict, which can lead to user discomfort. Swave’s innovative HXR technology addresses these problems while also eliminating the necessity for expensive components such as waveguides or varifocal lenses traditionally used in existing AR systems.
Swave has spent over a decade developing its technology and holds 60 core technology patents. The company announced its HXR platform in April 2024, followed by noteworthy achievements including the creation of the world’s first true color holographic display. Most recently, it was revealed that Swave’s HXR technology will be honored with a CES Innovation Award at CES 2025.
Source
venturebeat.com