UK Startups Pangolin and Wave Photonics Target Taiwan Alliances in Silicon Photonics Drive
UK Semiconductor Startup Series - 4
Silicon photonics is fast emerging as a transformative technology powering the next wave of data-intensive applications—from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to high-performance networking. Riding this momentum, UK photonics startups Wave Photonics and Pangolin Industries are joining upcoming UK trade delegations to Taiwan in June and September, seeking strategic manufacturing partnerships to scale their vision globally.
The Photonic Shift in Semiconductors
The semiconductor industry is undergoing a pivotal shift, driven by the energy efficiency and bandwidth demands of AI servers. Silicon photonics—embedding optical capabilities directly into silicon chips—is gaining traction with tech giants like Nvidia and TSMC. In this landscape, Pangolin Industries is branding itself as a provider of “Premier Photonic” solutions, focusing on reliable, high-quality components for co-packaged optics (CPO)—a foundational technology in next-generation data centers.
Based in Scotland, Pangolin is both a module designer and component supplier, leveraging outsourced manufacturing while retaining control over key processes like quality assurance. “We intentionally built a business model around strong partnerships,” says CEO Matt Tyrk. “We’re looking for agile, collaborative partners in Taiwan who bring not just cost efficiency but technical excellence.”
CTO Vojtech Olle emphasizes the company’s commitment to supply chain resilience. “The pandemic exposed the fragility of global supply chains,” he notes. “We help clients identify vulnerabilities and work with them and our supplier network to proactively mitigate these risks.”
Beyond hardware, Pangolin offers tailored design support and collaborates with universities to translate academic breakthroughs into commercial products. One example is a UK-based project to design and manufacture avalanche photodiodes (APDs), key components for both telecom and free-space laser measurement systems. Pangolin also produces laser diodes and is expanding its portfolio with new applications in the works.
Bridging Optics and Electronics: Wave Photonics' Platform Approach
While Pangolin tackles physical product resilience, Cambridge-based Wave Photonics is solving a different bottleneck: the integration of photonic and electronic systems. Founded in 2021, the company develops a design automation and IP platform that allows engineers to rapidly prototype and optimize photonic integrated circuits (PICs).
“We’re somewhere between Cadence and Arm—for photonics,” says CEO and co-founder James Lee. “Our platform doesn’t just design components; it builds robust, process-aware photonic IP tailored to specific foundries.”
Lee’s background in quantum optics and statistical finance has informed Wave’s data-driven approach to managing process variation, a major hurdle in photonics. “The same statistical models used for financial derivatives are incredibly effective in predicting chip fabrication variability,” he says.
Wave recently acquired the IP portfolio of a co-packaged optics and transceiver company, pushing deeper into the electronics-photonics integration space. “We have strong photonics IP, but we’re actively seeking electronics partners to close the loop,” Lee adds.
The platform's speed is a major advantage, generating a design library in just three weeks, compared to the industry norm of six to twelve months. This acceleration is vital in sectors like AI and quantum networking, where timelines are short and tolerances are tight.
From Quantum Roots to Global Reach
Though CPO and datacom are fast-growing markets, Wave’s strongest differentiation lies in quantum photonics. “Almost all quantum technologies—sensing, control, communication—depend on photonics,” says Lee, who earned his PhD in quantum photonics at Cambridge. “And integrated photonics is the only way to scale those systems.”
Long-term, Lee envisions Wave Photonics as a platform company enabling photonic innovation in fields ranging from biosensing and LIDAR to environmental monitoring. “Most industries don’t have the resources of TSMC or Nvidia,” he says. “We want to democratize photonics development.”
With a 14-person team and a Series A fundraising planned for later this year, Wave is seeking global partners to support its expansion—especially in regions with strong manufacturing infrastructure like Taiwan.
UK Design Meets Taiwanese Manufacturing Power
Despite strong academic roots, the UK lacks accessible commercial fabrication options for silicon photonics, pushing both Pangolin and Wave to look abroad. Taiwan, a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing, presents a compelling opportunity—not just for scaling production, but for forming strategic alliances.
“The photonics supply chain is inherently fragile,” says Olle. “It relies on rare materials and is vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, regulatory restrictions, and tariffs. Our role is to guide customers through this complex terrain with insights and solutions.”
The upcoming visits to Taiwan are more than supplier hunts—they're about forming strategic partnerships. By combining UK design ingenuity with Taiwan’s manufacturing agility and supply chain depth, both companies aim to drive innovation in silicon photonics while reinforcing global supply chain resilience.
As AI infrastructure grows more demanding and quantum systems move closer to commercialization, the work of Pangolin and Wave Photonics underscores a broader truth: the future of computing will be illuminated by light and enabled by collaboration. (End of the UK Semiconductor Startup Series)
Sign Up to Meet The Startups
14 UK semiconductor startups, including Pangolin Industries and Wave Photonics, are visiting Taiwan from June 2 to 6 as part of the Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) led by Innovate UK. Sign up to meet Vojtech Olle , Matt Tyrk, and James Lee face to face in Hsinchu:
📆 Date: Wednesday, June 4, 1:30 PM
📍 Venue: WSICC - Wei-Shun International Convention Center
📝 Registration: https://lnkd.in/gVMrmyXn
Don’t Miss Other Articles of the UK Semiconductor Startup Series:
Analogue Insight: English version ; Chinese version
Apitronix: English version ; Chinese version
TherMap Solutions: English version; Chinese version
Pangolin and Wave Photonics: English version; Chinese version
yep,thanks soo much for sharing this, i wished i can attend this event from Nigeria, i have been doing alot of researches about TSMC.