OLIX raises $312M for optical AI platform
OLIX has secured $312 million in Series B funding to accelerate development of its optical interconnect-based AI computing platform and next-generation inference chips.
U.K.-based semiconductor and AI chip startup OLIX has raised $312 million in a Series B funding round to accelerate development of its optical interconnect-based AI computing platform.
The investment values the company at $3.3 billion and supports the development of its DX-1 inference chip, scheduled for release in the second half of 2027.
OLIX's architecture is built around a "slow and wide" optical interconnect that enables ultra-low-latency, energy-efficient communication between chips.
Combined with rack-scale hardware and software co-design, the company says the approach allows AI models to be distributed across large numbers of specialized chips, improving performance for large-scale inference workloads.
The funding will also support expansion of the company's custom silicon platform, manufacturing and supply chain activities, and recruitment across silicon, photonics, compiler and systems engineering teams in the U.K. and U.S.
Alongside the financing, OLIX appointed networking pioneer Nick McKeown to its board of directors and named former Wise CFO Matt Briers as chief financial officer, strengthening its leadership team as it prepares to scale development of its next-generation AI infrastructure.
