CEO INTERVIEW WITH Lightmatter CEO Nicholas Harris: SCALING AI WITH LIGHT NOT COPPER. After the recent PECC Summit, I got the chance to sit down for a deep-tech interview with Nicholas Harris, CEO of Lightmatter. In the video below we discuss how the company (a “startup” valued in March 2025 at $4.4 billion) is redefining computing through silicon photonics. Note that Linkedin has a video limit of 15 minutes. The original is 21 minutes and posted on Youtube here. https://lnkd.in/diU5n2wi
Harris explains why micro-ring resonators—tiny optical modulators just 10×10 µm in size—are central to Lightmatter’s architecture. These devices deliver exceptional bandwidth density and energy efficiency, but demand precise temperature control. Lightmatter’s engineers have mastered that stability, handling temperature shifts of more than 800 °C per second, a feat that keeps performance steady at scale.
Another defining move: liquid cooling. With AI chips now reaching up to two kilowatts per package and racks surpassing 600 kW, air cooling is no longer viable. Lightmatter designs its photonic platforms—like the Bobcat and M1 1000—for dense, water-cooled environments, achieving up to four times better energy efficiency than copper interconnects.
The company’s upcoming Bi-Di (Bi-directional) optical link pushes 800 Gb/s per fibre at just 2.6 pJ/bit, proving that optical interconnects can outperform copper in both speed and power.
Harris emphasises collaboration—but not with startups.
“Each new chip program costs tens of millions. We partner with large semiconductor and hyperscale companies that can invest and deliver volume.”
That said, Lightmatter is deeply engaged across the supply chain—GlobalFoundries, TSMC, Amkor Technology, Inc., and ASE Global among them—and works closely with ODMs to advance fibre management and rack design for mass deployment.
Standardisation, particularly in single-mode fibre arrays, remains a shared priority to cut costs and simplify manufacturing. Harris also calls for pragmatic ambition across the photonics community:
“Aim high, but set achievable milestones. Build the future step by step.”
Optica Corporate member, Lightmatter, plans to reveal further advances at OFC Conference 2026, 15–19 March 2026 in Los Angeles, during the Optica Executive Forum, where global industry leaders will meet to discuss the next phase of photonic compute.
Registration is now open: https://lnkd.in/df2rbHav
