A new Dutch startup, Sabratha Photonics, officially launched in October 2025 to commercialize advanced photonic chips based on thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) technology. Spun out of the University of Twente (UT), the company builds on more than five years of R&D under the leadership of professor David Marpaung, who continues to advise the team as chief scientist.
Sabratha’s core mission is to develop ultra-high-performance modulators and (optical/RF) filter systems for 6G telecommunications and wireless communications, co-founder Marpaung told Bits&Chips. By leveraging the interaction of light and sound waves in TFLN, the startup aims to deliver scalable chip-integrated systems that reduce energy use and complexity while enabling higher performance. The company will also offer design and wafer fabrication services for select partners aligned with its roadmap.
Currently in the pre-seed phase, Sabratha is focusing on product development rather than licensing. The name, drawn from an ancient Roman amphitheater that nearly hosted a Beatles concert, symbolizes the company’s ambition for technical longevity over fame. “I like the idea that a 2000-year-old amphitheater that stood the test of time could have been more famous because of the Beatles, but didn’t need it. So, like Sabratha, the company focuses on longevity,” Marpaung says.
