Advancements in computing have reached a critical point as the traditional methods of cramming transistors onto chips are hitting limits. This has led to experts predicting the end of Moore’s Law and Dennard’s Scaling. The demand for computing power, especially driven by artificial intelligence, continues to grow rapidly.
Lightmatter, a company founded by three MIT alumni, is revolutionizing computing by incorporating light alongside electricity for data processing and transport. Their products, Envise and Passage, utilize both photons and electrons to enhance efficiency in artificial intelligence operations and data transfer between chips.
The company has raised over $300 million in 2023 and is collaborating with major technology companies to reduce energy consumption in data centers and AI models. Lightmatter’s technology aims to support platforms with hundreds of thousands of next-generation compute units, made possible by their innovative interconnect technology.
Prior to founding Lightmatter, CEO Nicholas Harris PhD ’17 worked at Micron Technology, where he recognized the limitations of traditional computing approaches. His research at MIT focused on photonic quantum computing, leading to the development of silicon-based integrated photonic chips for light-based information processing.
Envise combines the strengths of electrons and light for efficient computing, while Passage leverages light for data transfer between processors. These products aim to address the increasing energy demands of computing systems without substantial power consumption increases.
Lightmatter’s vision is to continue innovating in computing by integrating light to enhance energy efficiency and speed. Their goal is to revolutionize the field and pave the way for a more sustainable and efficient computing future.
