Swave Photonics raises $28.3M for smart 3D glasses and displays

Photonics Sweepholographic display company, has raised $28.27 million in funding as it prepares components for AI-powered smart glasses and head-up displays.

Swave said the Series A investment will fuel the advancement of its Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR) platform, enabling the first user experience for AI-powered augmented reality (AR) smart glasses and head-up displays. The company will showcase its technology at CES 2025.

The funding round was co-led by investors Imec.xpand and SFPIM Relaunch, with participation from new investors EIC Fund, IAG Capital Partners, and Murata Electronics North America, as well as investors there are already Qbic Fund, PMV, Imec, and Luminate.

Leuven, Swave based in Belgium before raised a $10.47 million seed round in 2023, which fueled the launch of the Swave HXR technology, as well as the expansion of the Swave team, which has veterans in photonics and semiconductors.

“This round will highlight Swave's product introduction as we continue to solve the challenges of today's AR experiences through true holography,” Mike Noonen, CEO of Swave, said in a statement. “We are delighted with the continued support of our existing and new investors. They recognize that Swave uniquely brings together semiconductor, holographic and AI technologies in a way that delivers cost-effective and highly useful solutions. “

“AR glasses are expected to be the primary interface for AI-powered spatial computing and other applications, and Swave is uniquely positioned to enable this future,” said Theo Marescaux, Swave and chief product officer , said in a statement. 'deliver the most advanced and integrated solution yet.'

“With Swave's seed funding, we successfully built our team, proved the capabilities of the technology, and completed prototype design”, said Dmitri Choutov, COO, in a statement. “With Series A funding secured and silicon running at our partner fabs, we are on track to introduce product development tools and production tools shortly thereafter.”

HXR Swave's technology uses what it calls “the world's smallest pixel” to shape light and sculpt high-quality 3D holographic images​​​​​​ that create a user-first experience , where digital information interacts and adapts to the user's environment. The images allow the human vision system to process them naturally using the patented DynamicDepth technology.

AR devices that are currently being prototyped or on the market. Swave's unique HXR technology not only solves these issues, but also eliminates the need for more expensive components, such as waveguides or varifocal lenses, which are absolutely essential for AR devices. it already exists.

Swave technology has been in development for over ten years and the company currently holds 60 core technology patents. Sweep name its HXR platform in April 2024, followed by the realization of the world's first colorful exhibition, and announced recently that HXR will be recognized at CES 2025 with a CES Innovation Award.