Lightelligence

Boston, United States Founded: 2017 • Age: 9 yrs
Optical chips and software solutions for AI computing are developed.
Request Access

About Lightelligence

Lightelligence is a company based in Boston (United States) founded in 2017 by John Joannopoulos, Paul Xie, Shen Yichen, and Marin Soljacic.. Lightelligence has raised $246.7 million across 4 funding rounds from investors including Helicap, CICC and China Mobile. Lightelligence operates in a competitive market with competitors including Rambus, Tsinghua Unigroup, Flex Logix, Lightmatter and Ambarella, among others.

  • Headquarter Boston, United States
  • Founders John Joannopoulos, Paul Xie, Shen Yichen, Marin Soljacic
  • Sectors
    Technology
  • Email
    ***********
  • Phone
    *********
  • Website
    *********
  • Social
    *********
Operational Areas
Technology → Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Technology → Semiconductors, Electronics & Hardware
Technology → Quantum & Emerging Technologies
Technology → Quantum & Emerging Technologies
Key Metrics
  • Annual Revenue
  • Net Profit
  • EBITDA
  • Total Equity Funding
    $246.7 M (USD)

    in 4 rounds

  • Latest Funding Round
    $210 M (USD), Series C

    Sep 05, 2025

  • Investors
    Helicap

    & 14 more

  • Employee Count
    Employee Count
Upgrade to premium

Unlock complete access to The Company Check

Get unrestricted viewing across everything we track — from companies and brands to investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, financials, and more.

Upgrade to Premium No viewing limits. Your plan controls exports and screening usage.
Included in your Premium account
  • Unlimited viewing on all profiles Companies, investors, financials, funding, acquisitions & directors
  • Full access to every database India & global coverage, advanced filters and rich profile details
  • Always-on access from your team account Single premium plan for everything you see on the portal
People of Lightelligence
Headcount 50-200
Employee Profiles 25
Board Members and Advisors 2
Employee Profiles
People
Armstrong Xue
Staff Analog System Engineer
People
Yichen Shen
Co-Founder, CEO
People
Huaiyu Meng
Co-Founder, CTO
People
Yanfei Bai
Principal Photonics Design Engineer at Lightelligence

Unlock access to complete

Board Members and Advisors
people
Marin Soljacic
Co-Founder, Advisor
people
John Joannopoulos
Co-Founder, Advisor

Unlock access to complete

Funding Insights of Lightelligence

Lightelligence has successfully raised a total of $246.7M across 4 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Series C round of $210 million completed in September 2025. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.

  • Total Funding
  • Total Rounds 4
  • Last Round Series C — $210.0M
  • First Round

    (02 Feb 2018)

  • Investors Count 15
Date Amount Transaction Name Valuation Lead Investors Investors
Sep, 2025 Amount Series C - Lightelligence Valuation

investors

Jul, 2020 Amount Series A - Lightelligence Valuation Ctc Capital , Helicap
Apr, 2020 Amount Series A - Lightelligence Valuation Matrix Partners China , CICC
Date Amount Transaction Name Valuation Lead Investors Investors
Jul, 2021 Amount Post-IPO - Grab Valuation

investors

Feb, 2021 Amount Post-IPO - Grab Valuation

investors

Jan, 2021 Amount Post-IPO - Grab Valuation

investors

Feb, 2021 Amount Post-IPO - Grab Valuation

investors

Investors in Lightelligence

Lightelligence has secured backing from 15 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Helicap, CICC and China Mobile. This diverse investor base provides strategic capital, industry expertise, and valuable network connections that support the company's growth initiatives, market expansion, and long-term value creation.

All
Venture Fund
Institutional
Investor Description Founded Year Domain Location
Multiple sectors are invested in by this venture capital firm.
Founded Year Domain Location
Casstar is focused on early-stage investments in hard technology.
Founded Year Domain Location
PE firm investing in China
Founded Year Domain Location
Investor Description Founded Year Domain Location
Single family office of Amitabh Bachchan, founder of Amitabh Bachchan Corporation or AB CORP
Founded Year Domain Location
Startup ecosystems are ignited through strategic investments by Signite Partners.
Founded Year Domain Location
Venture capital is directed toward companies in multiple sectors.
Founded Year Domain Location
Venture capital is invested in cybersecurity, fintech, and AI startups.
Founded Year Domain Location

Investments & Acquisitions by Lightelligence

Investments
Company Name Description Domain Location Founded Year Amount
Bionic investment advisor platform
2016
Fine Asian gourmet food is offered by an internet-first restaurant.
2016
Physical e-commerce kiosks are deployed for rural purchases in Indonesia.
2014
Fine Asian gourmet food is offered by an internet-first restaurant.
2016

Financial Statements - Lightelligence

Tata Steel revenue growth over time
Tata Steel profit and loss trends over time
Date Amount Transaction Name Valuation Lead Investors Investors
Jul, 2021 Amount Post-IPO - Grab Valuation

investors

Feb, 2021 Amount Post-IPO - Grab Valuation

investors

Jan, 2021 Amount Post-IPO - Grab Valuation

investors

Feb, 2021 Amount Post-IPO - Grab Valuation

investors

Lightelligence Comparisons

Employees
+
Add Comparison
Available on Premium

Competitors of Lightelligence

Lightelligence operates in a dynamic and competitive business environment, facing competition from various established players and emerging companies in the market. The competitive landscape includes prominent companies such as Rambus, Tsinghua Unigroup, Flex Logix, Lightmatter and Ambarella, among others. This competitive environment drives innovation, market differentiation, and strategic positioning as companies strive to capture market share and deliver value to their customers. Understanding the competitive dynamics is crucial for assessing market positioning, identifying growth opportunities, and navigating the challenges inherent in a competitive marketplace.

Company Name Domain Founded year HQ Location Description
domain founded_year HQ Location
AI-based silicon IP and chip solutions are developed and licensed.
domain founded_year HQ Location
Semiconductor solutions are provided for cellular and connectivity markets.
domain founded_year HQ Location
Provider of a reconfigurable computing company that provides embedded FPGA (eFPGA) IP, architecture, and software to enable flexible and efficient computing solutions for a wide range of industries
domain founded_year HQ Location
3D-stacked photonic chips for AI computing are developed.
domain founded_year HQ Location
AI-enabled image processors are manufactured for ADAS and security applications.
domain founded_year HQ Location
Provider of AI and cloud-based vision processing units for video analytics applications
Company Name Domain Founded year HQ Location Description
domain founded_year HQ Location
Multiple services are booked via an app-based platform.
domain founded_year HQ Location
On-demand services are booked through an app-based platform.
domain founded_year HQ Location
App based platform offering on demand delivery and ride-hailing services
domain founded_year HQ Location
Operates an on-demand hyperlocal delivery app for food and groceries.

Latest news on Lightelligence

Frequently Asked Questions about Lightelligence

When was Lightelligence founded?

Lightelligence was founded in 2017 and raised its 1st funding round 1 year after it was founded.

Where is Lightelligence located?

Lightelligence is headquartered in Boston, United States. It is registered at Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

Who is the current CEO of Lightelligence?

Shen Yichen is the current CEO of Lightelligence. They have also founded this company.

Is Lightelligence a funded company?

Lightelligence is a funded company, having raised a total of $246.7M across 4 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series A of $26M, raised on Feb 02, 2018.

What does Lightelligence do?

Lightelligence was founded in 2017 as a spin-off from MIT and is based in Boston, United States. Integrated photonics chips are developed by the company for machine learning and deep learning algorithms in artificial intelligence computing. Software solutions are also provided to support these operations. Features such as high speed, low latency, and low power consumption are emphasized in the products. Partnerships with Baidu Ventures, MIT, and NVIDIA are maintained.

Who are the top competitors of Lightelligence?

Lightelligence's top competitors include Lightmatter, Ambarella and Preferred Infrastructure.

Who are Lightelligence's investors?

Lightelligence has 15 investors. Key investors include Helicap, CICC, China Mobile, Matrix Partners China, and Casstar.

Explore millions of companies — effortlessly

Access structured, verified intelligence on 7M+ companies across industries, sectors, and global markets. From early-stage startups to large enterprises, discover ownership, leadership, funding, financials, acquisitions, and market signals — all in one powerful platform.

Free account with essential features Instant access to company reports Enterprise solutions available