EIB Backs Morphotonics With €20 Million to Bring AI Glasses Closer to Mass Production

The agreement forms part of Morphotonics’ Series B funding round, which brings together more than €40 million in financing and includes contributions from BOM and Invest-NL.

Dutch semiconductor innovator Morphotonics has secured a €20 million convertible loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to help expand manufacturing technology relevant to AI glasses, augmented reality waveguides and advanced photonic components.

The agreement forms part of Morphotonics' Series B funding round, which brings together more than €40 million in financing and includes contributions from BOM and Invest-NL. Supported under the European Commission's InvestEU programme, the EIB funding will help the company scale its large-area nanoimprint lithography platforms, which reproduce extremely small patterns across large surfaces for use in advanced optical devices.

Making Tiny Patterns at a Bigger Scale

Nanoimprint lithography works by pressing a mould containing nano- and microscopic patterns into a coating of liquid resin, then using ultraviolet light to harden the material and preserve those patterns. Morphotonics develops platforms that carry out this process with high precision across large areas, giving manufacturers a way to reproduce intricate structures needed for optical components in greater quantities.

The technology can help manufacturers produce components such as augmented reality waveguides at higher volumes and lower costs than conventional production methods. Waveguides help direct light within AR glasses, making them an important part of the optical system that brings digital imagery into the wearer's view. Expanding production of these components could help address a manufacturing constraint facing companies developing the next generation of wearable devices.

Bringing AI Beyond the Screen

Morphotonics Chief Executive Officer Hugo da Silva described a shift towards artificial intelligence becoming part of glasses, spatial systems and other intelligent devices that interact with the physical world. He said strong demand or promising product designs alone can't drive widespread adoption, because the optical components inside these devices must also be manufactured at the scale expected in consumer electronics.

The company's focus is on moving nanoimprint lithography from specialist production into high-volume manufacturing, reducing one of the barriers that can make advanced optical devices difficult to produce in large numbers. The new financing supports that expansion, with applications extending beyond AI glasses to augmented reality systems and advanced photonic components that use light to perform their functions.

Helping European Innovation Grow at Home

Chantal Schrijver, Head of the EIB Group office in the Netherlands, said Europe's competitiveness depends on maintaining strength in cutting-edge technology and ensuring that local businesses have the financing needed to stay and grow in the region. She highlighted the shared responsibility of public and private investors to provide appropriate financial support, describing Morphotonics' innovation as having the potential to make a significant contribution to Europe's technology sector.

The combination of EIB backing, InvestEU support and contributions from BOM and Invest-NL gives Morphotonics financing to develop the manufacturing capacity behind emerging optical technologies. The practical challenge is to reproduce complex components precisely, repeatedly and at a cost suitable for larger markets, helping manufacturers move advanced devices closer to production on a consumer-electronics scale.