Xili Optoelectronics Raises Pre-A Funding for Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Photonic Chips

On September 20, 2026, Xili Optoelectronics, a thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chip platform company focused on optical interconnect for AI data centers, announced the completion of its Pre-A funding round. The round was led by Futeng Capital, with participation from Shanghai Future Industry Fund, Cornerstone Capital, Greater Bay Area Fund, Sky Capital, Shenzhen Industry Investment, and listed company ZHIWEI Intelligence. LightSource Capital served as exclusive financial advisor.

The company was established in January 2025 and specializes in the R&D and industrialization of TFLN photonic chip platforms. It was incubated by the team behind the development of thin-film lithium niobate technology, with core doctoral team members from Harvard University, City University of Hong Kong and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Xili's platform covers wafer-level processes, photonic chip design, device engineering and on-chip photonic engine integration, spanning AI data center Scale Up, Scale Out and Scale Across interconnect scenarios.

The new funds will be used for continued R&D into TFLN photonic chips and system-on-chip integration technology, product iteration, wafer-level process collaboration and volume production validation, as well as to accelerate cooperation with partners across AI data centers, optical modules, communication equipment and optoelectronic packaging and testing sectors, supporting the large-scale deployment of TFLN photonic chips in next-generation high-speed optical interconnect networks.