Optalysys

Optalysys is a UK-based company at the forefront of developing optical computing hardware designed to accelerate Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE). Founded in 2013 by Dr. Nick New and Robert Todd, the firm emerged from over two decades of research in optical computing. Dr. New, the CEO, holds a PhD in Optical Pattern Recognition from Cambridge University and previously led Cambridge Correlators. CTO Robert Todd brings a rich background in optics and engineering from his work with industry giants like Seagate, BAE, and CERN. The duo relocated the company from Cambridge to Leeds to leverage the University of Leeds' expertise in the field.

The company's primary business is centered on overcoming the significant computational bottleneck associated with FHE, a powerful cryptographic method that allows data to be processed without ever being decrypted. While FHE offers the ability to perform calculations on encrypted information, making it quantum-secure, it is approximately one million times slower than conventional computing, which has hindered its practical application. Optalysys addresses this challenge by developing specialized silicon photonic chiplets. These chips, which merge optical computing with digital interfaces, are engineered to perform the complex mathematical transforms at the heart of FHE at the speed of light, a task where traditional electronic processors falter.

Optalysys's core product, the 'Enable' photonic computing technology, is a chiplet designed to be integrated into larger systems to turbo-boost FHE workflows. By focusing on Fourier-optical computing, the technology targets the most calculation-intensive parts of FHE, which can constitute 70-90% of the total workload. This acceleration makes secure data sharing and collaboration viable for industries handling sensitive information, such as finance, healthcare, and AI, where data privacy is paramount. The company plans to launch its technology through a cloud-based service model in partnership with system integrators and service providers, with initial systems available to end-users via an accelerator program.

The company has secured a total of $32.1 million in funding across six rounds. A significant milestone was the £21 million ($27.5 million) Series A round in July 2023, led by Lingotto (an investment firm owned by Exor), Northern Gritstone, and imec.xpand. This funding is aimed at expanding the team in Europe and the U.S. and producing the first high-speed Enable chips. Optalysys has also established key partnerships with Google HEIR, Duality Technologies, and Zama to advance the adoption and accessibility of FHE.

Keywords: Fully Homomorphic Encryption, FHE, optical computing, silicon photonics, photonic accelerator, secure computing, encrypted data processing, data security, cryptography, quantum-resistant, privacy-enhancing technologies, PETs, confidential computing, Fourier optics, data collaboration, secure AI, fintech security, healthcare data, cloud security, hardware acceleration