CCRAFT raises USD 7.8 million to scale up its photonic chip foundry

CCRAFT, a Neuchâtel-based CSEM spin-off operating the world’s first independent foundry for thin-film lithium niobate photonic chips, has closed a USD 7.8 million funding round to build industrial-scale manufacturing capacity.

CCRAFT has closed an oversubscribed funding round of USD 7.8 million (CHF 6.3 million) with investors from Switzerland and Germany, led by QBIT Capital with participation from Zürcher Kantonalbank, Apprecia Capital, Spacewalk, Blue Wonder Ventures and a leading European AI infrastructure operator. Combined with more than USD 3.5 million already secured in public and cantonal funding, the company now has USD 11.3 million in fresh capital to scale its photonic chip manufacturing.

CCRAFT operates what it describes as the world’s first independent foundry for photonic chips based on thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN), a technology developed over more than six years at CSEM in Neuchâtel and commercialized by the company since April 2025. As the global build-out of AI infrastructure drives demand for chips that move data faster while consuming far less energy, industrial-scale manufacturing of TFLN photonic chips remains largely unavailable, a gap CCRAFT aims to fill. The company already produces for customers across four continents.

To meet growing demand, CCRAFT plans to scale its Neuchâtel production platform to a capacity of up to 2,000 wafers per month by 2030. The global market for photonic integrated circuits is estimated at USD 15 to 20 billion, with the addressable market for TFLN-based chips alone expected to reach several billion dollars by 2030.

CSEM, which produced photonic chips for more than 40 partners worldwide through its pilot production line, will continue to support the transition to high-volume production as a technology and innovation partner, as CCRAFT works to establish industrial-scale photonic chip manufacturing in Switzerland.

For a broader perspective on CSEM’s role in Switzerland’s innovation ecosystem, listen to our Getting Serious podcast conversation with Dr. Alexandre Pauchard, CEO of CSEM, in which he explores what keeps Switzerland at the top of global innovation rankings.