Ephos

Ephos is a Milan-based startup founded in 2022 that designs and manufactures glass-based integrated photonic circuits for both classical and quantum devices. The company raised $8.5 million in seed funding led by Starlight Ventures and opened the world’s first glass-based quantum photonic circuits manufacturing facility in Milan. Founded by theoretical physicist Andrea Rocchetto with co-founders Francesco Ceccarelli, Giacomo Corrielli, and Roberto Osellame, Ephos uses glass fiber optics to build photonic chips that dramatically reduce coupling losses between fibers and chips compared to silicon-based competitors. The company received backing from the European Innovation Council and NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator, being selected as one of 10 companies from over 1,300 applicants, positioning them to address growing computational demands in quantum computing and AI infrastructure through innovative glass-based photonic chip technology.