Altair, a global leader in computational science and Artificial Intelligence (AI), has invested $10 million in Xscape Photonics, a start-up that developed patented technology for photonic chips for ultrahigh-bandwidth connections inside data centres and High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems.

Until now, computing leveraged a traditional electronic approach to moving vast amounts of data from chip to chip which requires significant space and power and produces substantial heat leading to performance challenges as HPC applications scale exponentially, especially in data science and AI.

By applying innovative photonics technology, Xscape has developed a platform that connects various computing elements in an environmentally sustainable way while offering the highest possible performance. This novel approach uses photonics to reduce power consumption and heat production while increasing the speed and power of communications while supporting the vast increase in the amount of data transferred from chip to chip, node to node, and more.

"This investment and collaboration with some of the world's best innovators in photonics will allow us to stay at the cutting edge of such high-fidelity and advanced technologies that will help our customers solve their problems more efficiently as they look to the next generation of hardware," said, James R Scapa, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Altair.

The potential for photonics is significant as high-speed data transfer is also relevant for software that facilitates simulation, HPC, AI, and machine learning. In the future, more simulation and computing power will be needed to allow for greater analysis, sustainable productivity, lowered costs, better products, and faster time-to-market. Shifting to embrace photonics will allow organisations across all sectors - including hardware, software, and product development companies - to accelerate their pace of innovation. 

As part of the investment, Scapa will assume a seat on Xscape Photonics' board of directors while Altair will secure a seat on the board of observers.