HighTechXL and PhotonDelta Aim to Build More Integrated Photonics Startups
22 April 202222 April 2022, Eindhoven – HighTechXL and PhotonDelta announce a technology partnership to build new integrated photonics start-ups, thereby strengthening the Brainport ecosystem and the Netherlands as a world leader in integrated photonics. PhotonDelta, the integrated photonics ecosystem, contributes its technical know-how and network, to which HighTechXL adds its venture building expertise.

HighTechXL builds deep-tech ventures that tackle grand societal challenges. For the past year, photonics has been a focus for their venture building program. Hence it was a logical step to capitalize on this and to enter into a technology partnership with PhotonDelta.
It seems the timing was perfect. The partnership was signed on the same day PhotonDelta announced the news that they landed € 1.1 billion through the Dutch National Growth Fund to usher in a new generation of semiconduction technology. The funds will enable PhotonDelta to further invest in photonics start-ups and scale-ups with the goal of creating an ecosystem with hundreds of companies by 2030. HighTechXL is confident that some of these companies will become alumni teams from the HighTechXL Teep Tech Venture Building Program.
Cooperation in venture building
The network and engineering knowhow of PhotonDelta, helps HighTechXL to discover new ideas for venture building in integrated photonics. HighTechXL is continuously on the look-out for entrepreneurial talent and potential co-founders who want to become deep-tech entrepreneurs. Throughout the year HighTechXL offers these talents opportunities to join the venture building journey. As teams mature in the program, they’re connected with investors and mentors they’ll need to emerge as a viable business.
John Bell, CEO of HighTechXL, tells what prompted this partnership:
“We came into being because there is a gap between a developed technology and the product that customers will eventually buy. That product has to be made first. Large companies can do that as well, but they don’t yet exist in the Netherlands in the field of photonics.”
Ewit Roos, CEO of PhotonDelta, explains the added value for the industry:
‘’The collaboration with experienced ventures builders, like HighTechXL, is of strategic importance to our ecosystem. Successful start-ups will help to create new applications that can benefit from the integrated photonics technology. New applications lead to a market pull effect, which in turn leads to a boost for the entire ecosystem.‘’
PhotonDelta invites integrated photonics experts with new ideas that they cannot implement themselves to get in touch. Together we look for the best solution to not let good ideas go to waste. This can, for example, lead to a search for funding or to transferring the idea to HighTechXL.