Lightmatter

Lightmatter is a Boston-based photonic supercomputer company founded in 2017 by CEO Nick Harris, Chief Scientist Darius Bunandar, and COO Thomas Graham, raising $400 million Series D in October 2024 at $4.4 billion valuation with total capital of $850 million. The round was led by T. Rowe Price Associates, with participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company and GV (Google Ventures). Lightmatter's Passage technology addresses AI infrastructure challenges by leveraging 3D-stacked photonics chips to move data, dramatically increasing AI cluster bandwidth and performance while reducing power consumption. The company builds the fastest interconnect layer using photonic chips developed since 2018. CEO Nick Harris indicated the Series D is likely the last private funding round before a potential IPO. Lightmatter will ready Passage for mass deployment in partner data centers, enabling scaling required for sustained AI innovation.