Optics11 Raises €17 Million to Safeguard Europe's Critical Infrastructure
Amsterdam-based Optics11, a life science instrumentation company specializing in fibre optics, has successfully secured €17M in new funding to advance its mission of safeguarding Europe’s critical infrastructure.
The funding round was led by Forward.One, a Dutch venture capital fund concentrated on industrial and physical technologies. Additional investors, including SET Ventures, Join Capital, and Value Creation Capital (VCC) participated in this funding round. This announcement occurs amidst increasing geopolitical concerns. Notably, Optics11 achieved a turnover of €4.5M last year, according to reports.
Under the leadership of Dutch Marine officer Paul Heiden, Optics11 develops fibre-optic sensor technology aimed at detecting threats and mechanical faults in submarine cables, transformer stations, and other remote infrastructure assets. Optics11’s pioneering sensors and advanced threat detection software allows for faster threat detection and response compared to other solutions. Its fiber optic sensors avoid electromagnetic interference, ensuring reliability in tough environments. The advanced software analyzes sensor data swiftly to identify threats and prevent disruptions. With Heiden at the helm, the Amsterdam company has focused on two primary sectors—defense and energy.
In the energy sector, Optics11's sensors assist in identifying early signs of wear within Europe's aging transformer network. Europe houses more than 90,000 transformer stations, with almost half exceeding 40 years of age, making preventative maintenance crucial. On the defense front, Optics11 is pioneering solutions to detect underwater sabotage attempts, such as those recently suspected in the Baltic Sea. “Protecting Europe’s critical infrastructure requires technology breakthroughs to ensure security and resilience. Optics11 is delivering a revolutionary subsea detection capability that Europe & NATO urgently need” said Daniel Carew, a Partner at Join Capital. “Their advanced fiber optic solutions for submarines, undersea networks and unmanned vehicles do not merely identify threats; they precisely classify them, distinguishing hostile actors from allies, and ensuring our economic wellbeing.”
In September 2024, Heiden initiated efforts to raise €10M for production financing. Initially, attracting investment for defense technology proved challenging, as it was not appealing to investors at the time. However, the situation evolved in November, when investors began reaching out to Heiden, following reports that cables had had been severed in the Baltic Sea. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, concerns about the sabotage of undersea cables that carry over 95% of intercontinental internet traffic have been growing.
The company currently operates out of Amsterdam-Zuidoost and employs approximately 70 individuals.