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Ephos

Defence · Milan, Italy · Founded 2022

Ephos designs and manufactures programmable photonic chips on glass for AI data centers and quantum computers, delivering ultra-low-loss photonic solutions that are robust, scalable, and cost-effective. Unlike traditional chip manufacturers relying on silicon-based technologies, Ephos builds on glass substrates, which offer best-in-class signal loss performance — one of the greatest hurdles in building a quantum computer. The company's novel 3D design and manufacturing capabilities unlock unique scaling opportunities and computational modalities that enable superior system performance. A key differentiator of the glass approach is that it enables processing and communication on the same chip, overcoming limitations found in current silicon-based solutions, with superior signal transmission. Founded in 2022 by theoretical physicist Andrea Rocchetto alongside researchers Francesco Ceccarelli, Giacomo Corrielli, and Roberto Osellame, Ephos was established to address a gap in Italy's deep-tech ecosystem. The founding team brings expertise from Stanford, Harvard, and Politecnico di Milano. Ephos operates a 53,000-square-foot facility (Fab-1) in the Milano Innovation District, serving as its central manufacturing and R&D hub. In July 2025, Ephos secured a €41.5 million grant under the EU Chips Act to build Fab-2, the world's first facility for processing advanced optical materials on glass at industrial scale, representing a total investment of €104.9 million. Ephos became the first startup to be awarded a grant under the EU Chips Act framework, joining beneficiaries such as TSMC, Infineon, and STMicroelectronics. The company serves customers across AI infrastructure, high-performance computing, quantum computing, and secure communications sectors. Keywords: photonic chips, glass substrates, quantum computing, AI data centers, photonic integrated circuits, deep tech, semiconductors, advanced packaging, quantum photonics, HPC