Eindhoven-based startup Photon IP has raised €4.75mn in seed funding as it looks to scale up its unique method for creating energy-efficient photonic chips. AI systems, data centres, fibre-optic networks, and even some sensors rely on photonic chips to send and receive information using light. These chips are a big deal because they’re faster and use less energy than typical semiconductors, which transfer data through electricity. But to make these high-performance, light-speed chips you need special compounds called III-V materials, such as indium phosphide. “These materials are relatively scarce and expensive though, so the industry has been looking at ways of…This story continues at The Next Web