Ligentec, an energy startup specialising in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and Mirrakoi, developing an augmented Computer Aided Design (CAD) for 3D models are the new winners of venture kick. Each startup has received CHF130,000 investment.
Within the connected reality in the modern world, there has been an explosion of data, use of sensors and connected devices. Ligentec offers an innovative technology to cope with the power consumption and size of new connected systems using photonic integrated circuits (PIC). Ligentec offers an innovative technology to cope with the power consumption and size of new connected systems using photonic integrated circuits (PIC). The PIC is a microchip where photons (light) are manipulated to carry the data by using new manufacturing techniques.
The startup has created a novel method to manufacture these chips using silicon nitride in order to improve efficiency. By making the chips out of material thicker than normal industry standards, this allows them to have a much lower bending radius, enabling a denser circuit design on a chip. In fact, the new manufacturing methods have allowed the chip to transmit with three times lower loss and an area 10 times smaller than current industry solutions and can integrate more than 200 fiber or bulk optics components on a fingertip sized chip.
The second winner, Mirrakoi (EPFL), developed a 50x faster design software for manufacturing, product design and architecture industry who are depending on digital design and simulation software mainly the Computer-aided design (CAD) to accomplish their digital modelling tasks. This is however, expensive, difficult to use and requires expertise.
Mirrakoi has invented a brand-new technology called ‘augmented CAD’, which allows engineers and product designers to create digital models with higher precision and efficiency, less expertise, and faster than today’s technology, especially adapted for complex and non-planar shapes. Augmented CAD is based on a novel way to represent digital geometry by simulating physical continuity between two objects in revolutionary way. Mirrakoi’s first product is called ‘Xirus’ and is fully compatible with some of the most widely used CAD software in industry.
Through offering augmented CAD, the startup will reduce the time spent on creating 3D models and overcomes current challenges in the manufacturing and architecture industry.
(Press release)
Please login or sign up to comment.
Commenting guidelines