HyperLight's $80 million Series C is a supply-chain bet on light replacing copper in AI data centers

Harvard-born photonics startup HyperLight closed an $80 million Series C on June 18, 2026, led by MediaTek with backing from UMC Capital, Jabil, Foxconn, and sovereign funds including EDBI and the Qatar Investment Authority. The round positions thin-film lithium niobate as a credible replacement for copper interconnects in AI data centers, with manufacturing partnerships already in place for 6-inch and 8-inch wafer production targeting 1.6T bandwidth. The investor syndicate of chipmakers and con