Lightspring

Lightspring, spun out of the FEMTO-ST institute in Besançon, uses two-photon polymerisation to print microlenses and waveguides directly onto photonic chips, removing the active fibre alignment that makes up much of packaging cost. It claims coupling losses below 0.5 dB. In September 2026 it raised €3.1 million in seed funding led by Atlantic and OVNI Capital, plus a €350,000 i-Lab grant.