Scintil Photonics, Presto Engineering and CEA-Leti receive Bpifrance grant
Scintil Photonics, Presto Engineering and CEA-Leti announce that their joint project, CanopAI, has been awarded funding by the French government under the France 2030 “i-Demo” program supported by Bpifrance. This collaborative initiative reinforces France and Europe’s ambitions to accelerate innovation and strengthen independence in semiconductors, photonics and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
Accelerating Photonic Integration for AI and Cloud Systems
Led by Scintil Photonics, the CanopAI project (“Optical Interconnections for AI and Datacenters”) aims to develop a new generation of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) designed to meet the exponential growth of data transmission in AI infrastructures. The project’s objective is to develop a roadmap that doubles data throughput every two years, significantly improving the power efficiency, latency and bandwidth density of GPU-to-GPU interconnects.
Scintil’s SHIP™ (Scintil Heterogeneous Integration Photonics) technology integrates III-V materials with silicon photonics to create fully integrated optical chips. SHIP™ brings together essential optical functions, such as lasers, modulators and monitoring photodiodes, on a single die, replacing the need for numerous discrete components. SHIP™ is used to fabricate LEAFLight™, a dense, multiwavelength light source on a single chip that offers unparalleled performance and integration while remaining fully compatible with high-volume silicon photonics foundry processes.
“The CanopAI project is a significant milestone in the industrial readiness of our photonic technology,” said Olivier Potavin, COO of Scintil Photonics. "Through our collaboration with Presto Engineering and CEA-Leti, we are establishing a complete value chain, from design to production, and deploying advanced electrical and optical wafer-level testing solutions. This initiative will further solidify Europe's position as a leader in photonics and semiconductor innovation."
Presto Engineering: Bridging Photonic Innovation and Industrialization
As the industrialization partner in the CanopAI project, Presto Engineering brings deep expertise in semiconductor test, qualification and reliability engineering to ensure manufacturability and scalability of photonic devices.
Presto develops automated electro-optical test solutions to characterize and test photonic integrated circuits at both wafer and package levels, validate thermal and reliability performance, and enable an efficient ramp-up to volume production of Scintil’s advanced PICs.
“Integrated photonics represents one of the most transformative evolutions in the semiconductor industry,” said Didier Narassiguin, VP of NPI & IP at Presto Engineering. “Through the CanopAI project, we’re tackling key challenges in test and reliability to help ensure that these next-generation photonic technologies can be industrialized efficiently within Europe.”
This project enables Presto to remain at the forefront of high technology by addressing the latest technical challenges in testing, reliability, and large-scale manufacturing. Presto reaffirms its ability to innovate and support the rapid evolution of the semiconductor industry.
CEA-Leti: Advanced Materials and Integration Expertise
CEA-Leti, a global leader in applied research for microelectronics and photonics, contributes to the project with advanced III-V material development and innovative bonding and integration techniques to optimize substrate reuse and prepare for future manufacturing on 300 mm wafers. “These innovations will enhance the scalability and sustainability of next-generation photonic processes,” added Eléonore Hardy, Silicon Photonics partnership manager at CEA-Leti.
A Collaborative Effort Anchored in French Innovation
The CanopAI project unites three French leaders in their fields:
Scintil Photonics – developing highly integrated, dense and multi-wavelength light source for AI data centers.
Presto Engineering – providing expertise in advanced test, reliability and industrialization of semiconductor and photonic devices.
CEA-Leti – offering R&D support in III-V laser development and silicon photonics integration.
Together, they aim to double data transmission throughput every two years, improve energy efficiency and pave the way for sustainable AI high-speed optical interconnects.
Supporting the France 2030 Vision
The Bpifrance grant under the France 2030 “i-Demo” program underscores national commitment to fostering innovation in critical technologies such as semiconductors, photonics and AI.
The CanopAI project will strengthen the domestic supply chain and contribute to the creation of high-value jobs and export competitiveness in Europe’s high-tech sector.
