Investment in NLM Photonics, a U.S. Company Developing Organic Electro-Optic Materials for Next-Generation Optical Communications —Strengthening Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation’s position in materials for AI data center optical interconnects—
September 9, 2026
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Manabu Chikumoto; hereinafter “MCC”), through its corporate venture capital arm, Diamond Edge Ventures, Inc. (Head Office: California, USA; President: Curtis Schickner), has invested in NLM Photonics (Headquarters: Washington State, USA; CEO: Brad Booth, hereinafter “NLM”), a startup that develops organic electro-optic (OEO) materials for next-generation optical communications.
NLM was founded on more than two decades of OEO research at the University of Washington. Its Selerion™ materials are applied to silicon photonic devices, producing hybrid silicon-organic photonic integrated circuits (PICs) that modulate light at higher speed and lower power than conventional inorganic approaches.
The investment was made as part of NLM’s Series A2 financing round led by Pangaea Ventures.
The rapid expansion of generative AI is dramatically increasing the volume of data managed in data centers, placing critical demand on optical interconnects that enable high-speed data transmission with lower power consumption. In this context, the materials used in optical modulation are increasingly recognized as a source of differentiated device performance.
・Comment by President Curtis Schickner of Diamond Edge Ventures, Inc.:
“Optical interconnects have become one of the true bottlenecks in AI infrastructure, and the materials at the heart of the modulator are where much of the remaining performance gain now sits. NLM has taken organic electro-optic materials out of the laboratory and shown that they can be processed in the way the semiconductor industry actually builds devices. That combination of scientific depth and manufacturing realism is why we wanted to be part of this round.”
MCC designates “Enable advanced data processing and telecommunications” as one of the business focus areas under its management vision, KAITEKI Vision 35. MCC aims to strengthen its understanding of next-generation optical communications, including optoelectronic integration, while creating business opportunities by leveraging its own materials technologies.
NLM was founded on more than two decades of OEO research at the University of Washington. Its Selerion™ materials are applied to silicon photonic devices, producing hybrid silicon-organic photonic integrated circuits (PICs) that modulate light at higher speed and lower power than conventional inorganic approaches.
Hybrid silicon-organic photonic integrated circuits (PICs)
The investment was made as part of NLM’s Series A2 financing round led by Pangaea Ventures.
The rapid expansion of generative AI is dramatically increasing the volume of data managed in data centers, placing critical demand on optical interconnects that enable high-speed data transmission with lower power consumption. In this context, the materials used in optical modulation are increasingly recognized as a source of differentiated device performance.
・Comment by President Curtis Schickner of Diamond Edge Ventures, Inc.:
“Optical interconnects have become one of the true bottlenecks in AI infrastructure, and the materials at the heart of the modulator are where much of the remaining performance gain now sits. NLM has taken organic electro-optic materials out of the laboratory and shown that they can be processed in the way the semiconductor industry actually builds devices. That combination of scientific depth and manufacturing realism is why we wanted to be part of this round.”
MCC designates “Enable advanced data processing and telecommunications” as one of the business focus areas under its management vision, KAITEKI Vision 35. MCC aims to strengthen its understanding of next-generation optical communications, including optoelectronic integration, while creating business opportunities by leveraging its own materials technologies.
