Neurophos Optical AI Processor Funding

What happened

Neurophos secured $110M in funding to develop and build tiny optical processors, known as Optical Processing Units (OPUs), for AI inferencing. These OPUs utilise an optical chip with a composite material, specifically metasurface modulators, to perform the mathematical operations required for AI inferencing, aiming to address the AI industry's power efficiency challenges.

Why it matters

The introduction of Neurophos's optical processors for AI inferencing tightens dependencies for platform operators and IT operations on a novel computing architecture. This creates a visibility gap regarding integration complexity and performance metrics within existing data centre environments. Procurement faces an increased due diligence burden to assess the operational viability and long-term support of this specialised optical technology.