Twente’s photonics foundry New Origin secures seed funding

Thanks to an investment from development agency Oost NL and a grant from the province of Overijssel, New Origin has laid the financial foundation for the construction of an integrated-photonics foundry in Twente. Focused on the silicon nitride (SiN) platform, the firm aims to ship the first wafers by the end of 2026.

New Origin is a commercial continuation of the manufacturing services provided by the University of Twente’s Mesa+ cleanroom. The university took the lead in setting up the company, supported by local industry including Bronkhorst High-Tech, Demcon, Lionix and Micronit. The foundry is also part of a national strategy, spearheaded by public-private accelerator Photondelta, to put the Netherlands and Europe on the map in the budding integrated-photonics industry.

Check out our interview with New Origin CEO Twan Korthorst