OLIX Computing is building a new class of AI accelerator — the Optical Tensor Processing Unit (OTPU) — that uses photonics to run AI inference workloads faster and more cost-efficiently than GPU-based systems. By integrating SRAM memory directly with optical components, their architecture sidesteps the memory bandwidth bottleneck that limits conventional AI chips without relying on HBM, advanced packaging, or any supply-chain-constrained technology that even the largest hyperscalers struggle to procure.

Unlike GPU designs that depend on expensive high-bandwidth memory stacked alongside the chip, OLIX stores data entirely in on-chip SRAM and uses photonics for interconnect, achieving lower latency and higher throughput per watt at a significantly lower total cost of ownership. Their chips are designed for bit-perfect digital computation — not analog approximation — and are compatible with existing AI models through a custom compiler stack.

Founded in 2024 by 25-year-old James Dacombe, OLIX raised $250M in total funding — including a $220M round led by Hummingbird Ventures at a $1B+ valuation — and has grown to over 70 employees across the UK and North America. The company plans to ship its first OTPU products to customers in 2027.