Mitsubishi Chemical инвестировала в стартап NLM Photonics для развития материалов оптических интерконнектов

KEY POINTS Mitsubishi Chemical invests in NLM Photonics through Diamond Edge Ventures, joining a Pangaea Ventures-led Series A2 round. NLM's Selerion materials enable silicon-organic hybrid photonic circuits for higher-speed, lower-power optical modulation. KAITEKI Vision 35 identifies advanced data processing and communications as a Mitsubishi Chemical priority area. TOKYO, Sept. 9, 2026 — Mitsubishi Chemical Corp said it has invested in U.S. startup NLM Photonics through its corporate venture-capital subsidiary Diamond Edge Ventures, seeking to strengthen its position in materials for optical interconnects used in artificial intelligence data centers. The investment was made as part of NLM's Series A2 financing round, led by Pangaea Ventures. Diamond Edge Ventures, based in California, is Mitsubishi Chemical's corporate venture-capital unit and is led by Chief Executive Curtis Schickner. NLM, headquartered in Washington state and led by Chief Executive Brad Booth, develops organic electro-optic, or OEO, materials for next-generation optical communications. NLM was established on the basis of more than 20 years of OEO-material research at the University of Washington. Its Selerion materials are applied to silicon photonics devices, enabling silicon-organic hybrid photonic integrated circuits that modulate light at higher speeds and with lower power consumption than approaches using conventional inorganic materials, according to Mitsubishi Chemical. OEO materials alter their optical properties in response to electrical signals, allowing them to be used in optical modulators. Silicon photonics integrates optical components onto silicon-based chips, while optical interconnects transmit data between computing and networking equipment. Mitsubishi Chemical cited the rapid adoption of generative AI and the resulting increase in data-center communications traffic as factors raising the importance of high-speed, low-power optical transmission. Materials used in optical modulators are a key determinant of device performance, the company said. "Optical interconnects are one of the critical bottlenecks in AI infrastructure," Schickner said in the release. "NLM has moved organic electro-optic materials from the research stage toward practical application and demonstrated that they can be applied to manufacturing processes used in the semiconductor industry." Under its KAITEKI Vision 35 management plan, Mitsubishi Chemical identifies advances in data processing and communications as a priority business area. The company plans to deepen its expertise in next-generation information and communications technologies, including optoelectronic integration, while pursuing business opportunities based on its materials technologies.