CCRAFT invests EUR 2.7 million to scale up photonic chip production in Neuchâtel

Neuchâtel-based start-up CCRAFT, a spin-off from the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), is entering a new phase of industrial expansion. The company, which operates the world’s first production-ready foundry for Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) photonic integrated circuits, has announced a EUR 2.7 million investment plan supported by Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency.

Over the next two years, this funding will strengthen its design and manufacturing capacities to serve the rapidly growing artificial intelligence and high-performance computing markets.

Scaling up next-generation photonic production

Born from six years of research at CSEM, CCRAFT’s technology represents a leap forward in data transmission efficiency. Unlike traditional silicon chips, which rely on electrons, TFLN photonic circuits process information directly through light, reducing conversion steps, heat generation, and energy loss. The result is a new generation of chips offering up to eight times higher speed and ten times lower energy consumption than conventional platforms.

This breakthrough directly addresses one of the biggest bottlenecks in modern computing: the ability to process and transfer massive data volumes efficiently. With AI, cloud computing, and quantum technologies driving global data traffic, CCRAFT’s chips are positioned as a cornerstone for the data centers of the future.

Currently operating from CSEM’s 150mm pilot line, CCRAFT has already delivered thousands of chips to more than 40 industrial partners worldwide. The company plans to expand to 200mm wafers, a step that will significantly boost throughput and production efficiency. Its long-term goal is to establish a full-scale foundry in Neuchâtel capable of producing up to 12 million chips annually by 2030, capturing as much as 30% of the global TFLN market.

Strengthening Western Switzerland’s deeptech leadership

CCRAFT’s expansion reinforces Western Switzerland’s leadership in photonics and microtechnology, a field deeply rooted in the country’s watchmaking and precision engineering heritage.

With Innosuisse’s support and Neuchâtel’s thriving innovation ecosystem, the company is helping to anchor advanced semiconductor manufacturing in Western Switzerland bridging research excellence with industrial-scale impact.