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Phanofi

company StartupInterconnect
phanofi.com Diplomvej 381, 2800 Kongens Lyngby

DTU spin-out (2022) building low-power, high-speed optical transceivers for AI datacentres. Patented silicon photonics design uses intensity, phase, and polarisation for ~40% better energy efficiency.

Semiconductor activity in Denmark

Phanofi (founded 2022, DTU spin-out) develops silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for coherent optical interconnects targeting 1.6T and 3.2T speeds. Their patented design leverages multiple dimensions of light — intensity, phase, and polarisation — achieving ~40% better energy efficiency than conventional approaches. Co-founded by Hitesh Kumar Sahoo and Dagmawi Alemayehu Bekele, the company targets AI/HPC datacentre interconnects where low latency and low power are critical. Funded by ERC Proof of Concept Grant, Spin-outs Denmark (Velux Foundations), and Innovation Fund Denmark. Won the hardware pitch at TechBBQ 2023.

Key facts

  • Founded 2022, DTU Fotonik spin-out
  • Co-founders: Hitesh Kumar Sahoo, Dagmawi Alemayehu Bekele
  • Silicon photonics for 1.6T/3.2T coherent optics
  • ~40% more energy efficient via multi-dimensional light encoding
  • Funded: ERC PoC Grant, Spin-outs Denmark, Innovation Fund DK
  • Won TechBBQ 2023 hardware pitch competition

Technology focus

  • Silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs)
  • Coherent optical transceivers (1.6T, 3.2T)
  • Multi-dimensional light encoding (intensity, phase, polarisation)
  • Low-power datacentre interconnects for AI/HPC

R&D footprint

~5 estimated R&D staff in Denmark — DTU spin-out, early stage

Contacts

Hitesh Kumar Sahoo
primary
No public email on file
Dagmawi Alemayehu Bekele
secondary
No public email on file

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