xLight Inc.

xLight has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies of 2026 in Computing. The recognition "for rewriting the rules of advanced semiconductor manufacturing" is a testament to our team, partners, and investors who make our work possible. #MostInnovativeCompanies #Semiconductors #EUV #DeepTech 

A particle accelerator feeding a fab? That sounds extreme. Yet that is one of the ideas to continue to etch smaller and smaller transistors. I had written about this approach last year. This time for the Babbage podcast for The Economist, I visited the team behind it - xLight Inc.to understand more. I also looked ASML's plans which, while not as revolutionary, are no less complex. If you want to geek out on the extreme physics that enables AI have a listen. Link in comments. Dan Ascher Bruno La Fontaine Nicholas Kelez

What if one light source could power an entire fleet of EUV scanners? And what if fabs bought photons the way they buy process gases? Read more about xLight Inc. https://lnkd.in/gkCnch9W

Today xLight announced it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the U.S. Department of Commerce for $150 million in proposed federal incentives under the CHIPS and Science Act. This award is the first from the Trump Administration’s CHIPS Research and Development Office (CRDO) – proving next generation lithography is a top priority in the administration’s broader effort to restore American semiconductor manufacturing. “The future of semiconductor manufacturing hinges on lithography, and we are grateful for the support of the Trump Administration, Secretary Howard W. Lutnick, and Deputy Secretary Paul Dabbar, and their vision to drive innovation and restore American leadership in advanced semiconductor manufacturing,” said Nicholas Kelez, CEO and CTO of xLight. “With the support from Commerce, our investors, and development partners, xLight is building its first free-electron laser system at the Albany Nanotech Complex, where the world's best lithography capabilities will enable the research and development that will define the future of chip manufacturing.” Read the full release at the links below.

This Wednesday, Dec. 3, our CEO and CTO Nicholas Kelez will join Pat Gelsinger and Connie Loizos at StrictlyVC Palo Alto, hosted at Playground Global. Nicholas will participate in the panel, "From Silicon to Startups" where he'll explain our work to revolutionize semiconductor manufacturing with the world's most powerful lasers.

Is Moore's Law dead? I get asked this all the time. The simple view -- it’s been taking a partial rest for a time. The important thing to remember is that Moore's Law is fueled by the trio of more, better and cheaper transistors. It's true as technology has advanced, we've lost the cheaper part. Case in point: AI inference is terribly uneconomic today. But this is where innovation always prevails. At Playground Global, we're investing in technologies that have the potential to recreate and advance this trio. For example, xLight Inc., which is developing particle-accelerator-driven free electron lasers for semiconductor lithography...helping make more, cheaper and faster transistors. There are also innovations like 3D packaging, which moves Moore's Law into a new domain, innovating in 2D plane and vertical (X/Y and Z dimension), which are things Gordon predicted in his original paper. So is Moore's Law dead? I'd say there is a whole new generation of technologists out there developing new ways that carry it forward – it's time to wake up Moore’s Law!

After decades in the semiconductor industry, I’ve learned that foundational breakthroughs don’t come often, but when they do, they reshape everything. Congratulations to the xLight Inc. team!   One of the most critical technologies in advanced manufacturing is lithography, and its future depends on our ability to generate and control light with extreme precision. That’s why I’m so excited about what the team is building.   With its extreme ultraviolet free electron laser, xLight is developing the technology needed to accelerate progress in chip manufacturing. It’s a bold engineering challenge with a clear objective: to push Moore’s Law forward again.   Decades ago, the U.S. forfeited leadership in one of the most essential enabling technologies in semiconductors. With xLight, we have an opportunity to course-correct. This isn’t theoretical, it’s real work, real wafers, and the potential to power a new generation of fabs.   The tech is breakthrough. The timing is urgent. And the opportunity to shape the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing is here. Proud to support this incredible team lead by Nicholas Kelez through Playground Global, where xLight is part of a growing portfolio of companies working at the frontier of deep tech. https://lnkd.in/e4U3-9ta

We’re thrilled to announce our $40M Series B to revolutionize advanced semiconductor manufacturing with the world’s most powerful EUV free electron lasers, as first reported by Stephen Nellis at Reuters. This oversubscribed round was led by Playground Global, with participation from Boardman Bay Capital Management, Morpheus Ventures, Marvel Capital, and IAG Capital Partners. This funding marks a major milestone in our mission to reclaim American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing. With it, we’ll accelerate the development of our full-scale EUV FEL prototype—unlocking massive performance improvements over today's light source technology. Semiconductor manufacturing is approaching a critical inflection point. By bringing together the best of accelerator physics, laser science, and industrial engineering, we’re helping drive the next era of Moore’s Law—enabling fabs to unleash productivity, drive down costs, and spur innovation in the chips of the future. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eQEjhKPa #SeriesB #Semiconductors #DeepTech #EUV #FEL #xLight #MooresLaw #LaserTechnology #FrontierTech #ChipManufacturing

Thanks to the Playground team for hosting us to discuss our favorite topic: reigniting Moore’s Law with the world's most powerful free electron lasers.