Lightium wins the 32nd Prix Strategis

Lightium won the Prix Strategis 2025. The startup develops photonic chips for telecommunications and artificial intelligence. The Strategis Prize is awarded by HEC Espace Entreprise in Lausanne.

Lightium, a start-up that specializes in photonic integrated circuits, won the Prix Strategis for the 32nd time this year. Based in the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich, Lightium develops photonic chips for telecommunications and artificial intelligence that combine processing speed and energy efficiency. The start-up came out on top among nearly 100 candidates from across Switzerland. The prize is endowed with 40,000 Swiss francs.

“This award means much more to us than just the prize money,” Lightium said in a LinkedIn statement. “As a young startup, visibility is important, especially here in Switzerland, where we are growing and hiring quickly. Participating in the Prix Strategis was an opportunity to introduce Lightium to the next generation of brilliant minds.”

Founded in 2023, Lightium is developing a proprietary thin film lithium niobate (TFLN) platform. By offering production-grade PIC foundry services, Lightium enables photonics device manufacturers to streamline production, reduce costs, and scale seamlessly. TFLN, a glass-like material, significantly improves data transfer rates while reducing power consumption.

The Strategis Prize is organized each year by the HEC Espace Entreprise student association at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Lausanne. Since its creation in 1993, the Strategis Prize has become a benchmark in the Swiss business landscape, recognizing the country’s most promising start-ups each year, according to HEC.

(translated from Café Europe)