Vitrealab Raises US$11m to Scale Quantum Light Chips for AR
Austria-based photonics company Vitrealab has secured US$11 million in Series A funding to speed up the development and industrial deployment of its Quantum Light Chip (QLC) technology. The company is positioning QLC as a path to more energy-efficient, compact display systems for augmented reality (AR) glasses and virtual reality (VR) headsets, at a time when AR hardware progress is increasingly tied to power consumption, brightness, and device size.
The funding round was led by LIFTT Italian Venture Capital and LIFTT EuroInvest. Other participating investors included PhotonVentures, Constructor Capital, xista Science Ventures, and Moveon Technologies, as well as additional backers. Vitrealab stated that the round attracted more demand than available allocation, indicating strong investor interest in the company’s approach to integrated photonics for display applications.
Vitrealab’s chief technology officer, Jonas Zeuner, said the new capital will support the company’s move from advanced prototype systems towards industrial-grade products. The investment is also expected to help the firm expand its technical capabilities, while continuing research and development aimed at improving photonic integrated circuits (PICs) in display use cases.
At the centre of Vitrealab’s product strategy is the use of laser-based photonic integrated circuits to generate intense, collimated light. In practice, QLC applies PICs to control and shape coherent laser beams in laser–liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) light engines. By integrating more of the light management function into photonics, the company aims to simplify system architecture and reduce the optical inefficiencies that can occur in more traditional designs.
The company claims this method cuts optical losses and helps shrink the overall size of display components, while preserving key characteristics such as polarisation and beam integrity. These performance attributes matter for AR devices because lightweight smart glasses require display systems that deliver high brightness without excessive power draw or bulky optics. If these constraints are not solved at the component level, battery life and user comfort can quickly become limiting factors.
Vitrealab argues that its QLC approach can deliver higher perceived brightness, a wider field of view, and lower power consumption than conventional alternatives. These three factors are among the most common bottlenecks in consumer-facing AR display engineering, particularly where devices must remain wearable for long periods and usable in varied lighting conditions, including outdoors.
The company traces its origins to academic research and is a spin-off from the University of Vienna. With funding secured, Vitrealab plans to strengthen its collaboration with customers and development partners while laying the technical groundwork for wider AR adoption. This includes work on next-generation light engine architectures designed to suit better the demands of mass-market AR, where both performance and scalable manufacturing will shape the competitive landscape.
Investor-side commentary around the raise suggested that the AR market is becoming increasingly receptive, but display hardware has not advanced quickly enough to match broader expectations. In this context, Vitrealab is presenting its technology as a response to common AR display constraints, including brightness limitations, component size constraints, and energy efficiency. The company also states that its light engines are designed to deliver extremely high brightness, supporting visibility even under strong ambient light such as sunlight, while maintaining efficiency suitable for glasses-style devices.
A key operational element of Vitrealab’s plan is its vertically integrated model. Rather than relying entirely on external manufacturing pipelines for core photonic components, the firm designs and manufactures its own devices using in-house tooling and proprietary direct-laser-writing processes. This setup is intended to support faster iteration cycles while maintaining a stable path towards production volumes, which can be difficult for hardware start-ups relying on multiple specialist suppliers.
For engineers and product teams working across AR display design, the funding round also reflects a larger industry movement. Integrated photonics, traditionally associated with communications and sensing technologies, is increasingly being explored as a foundation for consumer optical systems. In those applications, gains in efficiency, compactness, and manufacturability are viewed as necessary steps to convert promising prototypes into products that can be produced at scale and worn comfortably in everyday settings.
