Aeluma Secures CHIPS LOI for $30M as It Pivots to Scale AI Datacom Photonics
Event summary
- Signed LOI for up to $30M in CHIPS funding to develop photonics for AI and advanced computing.
- Expanded partnership with Sumitomo Chemical to increase wafer capacity and strengthen supply chain.
- Added $20.1M in cash, bringing total to $56M as of June 30, 2026.
- Grew team from 14 to 30 employees, including key hires in engineering and project management.
- Reported $4.5M in full-year revenue, primarily from government R&D contracts, with net loss widening to $9.2M.
The big picture
Aeluma is transitioning from early-stage R&D to commercialization, leveraging strategic partnerships and government funding to scale photonics for AI datacom. The $30M CHIPS LOI underscores the U.S. government’s focus on domestic semiconductor innovation, while Aeluma’s supply chain expansions signal readiness for higher-volume production. The AI datacom market’s projected growth to $1.8T by 2030 positions Aeluma’s photonics technology as a critical enabler for high-speed data center interconnects.
What we're watching
- Commercialization Timing
- Whether the CHIPS funding accelerates Aeluma’s commercialization timeline as projected.
- Customer Engagement
- The pace at which multi-million-dollar NRE agreements materialize in the AI datacom sector.
- Execution Risk
- How Aeluma balances scaling manufacturing capacity with maintaining R&D momentum.
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