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Cailabs

HardwareRennes, FranceFounded 2013· One of 1708 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

A deep-tech photonics company that shapes laser light to enable faster, safer, more reliable and precise solutions for optical communications, industrial laser processing, and defense applications from Earth to Space.

CEO / Founder
Jean-François Morizur
Team Size
51-200
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$173M
Latest Round
Debt
Key Investors
European Investment Bank (EIB), NewSpace Capital, Innovacom, Starquest Capital, Definvest, Fonds Innovation Defense, Safran Corporate Ventures, European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, Bpifrance, CAIVE, Kima Ventures, Supernova Invest, Crédit Agricole Ille et Vilaine Expansion

Technology & Products

Key Products

["TILBA®-OGS L10 (Turnkey Optical Ground Station - 10+ Gbps space-to-ground laser communications)","TILBA®-LOS (Line-of-Sight optical terminals for 10+ Gbps point-to-point links over 15+ km)","TILBA®-ATMO (Atmospheric turbulence mitigation for reception - fully passive MPLC solution)","TILBA®-IBC (In-orbit beam compensator for transmission)","TILBA®-CBC (Coherent Beam Combiner - 100 W class telecom laser with 80%+ efficiency)","AROONA-STAR (Splice-on multimode-to-single-mode converter for 550m+ distances)","AROONA-CONNECT (Connectorized converter for shorter distances - no splicing required)","PROTEUS-C (Spatial multiplexer for Space Division Multiplexing - enables 10 Pb/s fiber capacity record)","CANUNDA-HP (High-power beam shaping platform for laser welding/cutting/additive manufacturing)","CANUNDA-PULSE (Top-hat beam shaper for ultrafast/femtosecond lasers)","CANUNDA-USP PureBeam (Industrial-grade fiber coupling for USP lasers)","CANUNDA-AXICON (Bessel beam generator for glass dicing)","ONEMODE (Passive fiber converters for USA market)"]

Technological Advantage

MPLC technology delivers three core advantages: (1) Passive reliability - no mechanical parts ensures mission-critical operation in defense/space; (2) Very low loss (<4 dB insertion, 80%+ combining efficiency) enables high-power and high-throughput applications; (3) Versatility - same core technology applies across diverse markets (space comms, industrial lasers, fiber upgrades, quantum optics) with proven performance (10 Pb/s fiber record, 10+ Gbps optical links, 8,000+ industrial processes enhanced)

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Revolutionizes light manipulation through proprietary MPLC technology, enabling ultra-high-throughput optical communications (10+ Gbps), upgrading legacy multimode fiber networks to single-mode without cable replacement (10 Gb/s capacity at 76% cost savings), and enhancing industrial laser processes (welding, cutting, additive manufacturing) through dynamic beam shaping

How They Differentiate

Pioneers Multi-Plane Light Conversion (MPLC) - a patented passive optical technology enabling precise laser beam shaping and manipulation without mechanical moving parts. MPLC provides ultra-low loss (<4 dB insertion, 80%+ combining efficiency) and mission-critical reliability for defense/space applications. Unlike competitors using active systems or different approaches, Cailabs' passive MPLC platform enables same core technology across diverse markets (space comms, industrial lasers, fiber upgrades) with proven performance including 10 Pb/s fiber record, 10+ Gbps optical links, and 8,000+ industrial processes enhanced.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Satellite operators (SES, KDDI), telecommunications providers (Nokia Bell Labs), defense organizations (military forces), industrial manufacturers (automotive, aerospace, metal processing), research institutions, and enterprises requiring fiber network upgrades

Industry Verticals

["Aerospace & Defense (space communications, military applications)","Telecommunications (fiber networks, SDM transmission)","Industrial Laser Processing (welding, cutting, additive manufacturing, 3D printing)","Automotive (electric mobility, busbar welding)","Research & Development (quantum optics, optical communications testing)","Enterprise Networks (campus, factory, data center connectivity)"]

Competitors

Mantis Photonics; Bridger Photonics; Infinera

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Grew from founding in 2013 to 170+ employees across 3 locations worldwide; 29 patent families; 8,000+ industrial laser processes enhanced; 20+ legacy fiber links upgraded; 10+ Gbps space-to-ground optical communications achieved; $60.82M strategic partnership with DataPath announced in 2025

Major Milestones

["Founded 2013 with Multi-Plane Light Conversion (MPLC) technology co-invented by Jean-François Morizur","2017: World record in fiber capacity (10 Pb/s) with KDDI using PROTEUS product","2019: Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe recognition for CEO Jean-François Morizur","2019: €8M funding round led by Supernova Invest with participation from Definvest, Safran Corporate Ventures, Innovacom, Starquest Capital","2022: €26M Series C led by NewSpace Capital for optical ground station expansion","2024: Partnership with DataPath Inc. for transportable optical SATCOM terminals","2024: TILBA-OGS L10 named TIME's Best Invention of 2025","2025: Strategic partnership with SES to test next-generation laser communication technology (10+ Gbps)","2025: €57M growth financing led by European Investment Bank with participation from Definvest, Fonds Innovation Defense, NewSpace Capital, EIC Fund, Starquest Capital, and CAIVE","Established Cailabs US Inc for North American market expansion"]

Notable Customers

DataPath Inc. (strategic partnership, $60.82M agreement); SES (testing next-generation TILBA-OGS L10 optical ground stations); KDDI (world record 10 Pb/s fiber capacity collaboration); Nokia Bell Labs (PROTEUS solution for SDM research); Fraunhofer ILT (joint development of 12 kW wire-based laser material deposition); Exotrail (SpaceVan™ mission 2026 for optical communication testing); Amplitude Systèmes (CANUNDA-PULSE demonstrations); Institut Maupertuis (CANUNDA-HP demonstrations)

https://www.cailabs.com

Why this company matters

Cailabs is a deep-tech photonics company based in Rennes, France, that shapes laser light to enable faster, more reliable solutions for optical communications, industrial laser processing, and defense. Founded in 2013, the company has grown to over 170 employees and holds 29 patent families around its core Multi-Plane Light Conversion (MPLC) technology. MPLC is a passive, ultra-low-loss optical method that manipulates laser beams through multiple phase-shaping planes without mechanical moving parts, providing reliability and scalability for mission-critical applications.

The company's product portfolio spans three main domains. For optical communications, the TILBA series includes optical ground stations and line-of-sight terminals capable of 10+ Gbps space-to-ground links, as well as atmospheric turbulence mitigation and in-orbit beam compensation. The AROONA line converts multimode fiber to single-mode without cable replacement, achieving 10 Gb/s capacity at 76% cost savings. For industrial laser processing, the CANUNDA platform enables dynamic beam shaping for welding, cutting, and additive manufacturing, with over 8,000 industrial processes enhanced. The PROTEUS spatial multiplexer helped set a world record of 10 Pb/s fiber capacity with KDDI in 2017.

Cailabs targets satellite operators, telecommunications providers, defense organizations, and industrial manufacturers. Notable customers and partners include SES, KDDI, Nokia Bell Labs, Fraunhofer ILT, Exotrail, and DataPath Inc., with whom it signed a $60.82M strategic agreement in 2025 for transportable optical SATCOM terminals. The company has raised approximately €160M from investors including the European Investment Bank, NewSpace Capital, Safran Corporate Ventures, and Bpifrance.

Cailabs' competitive moat lies in its passive MPLC platform, which combines ultra-low loss (under 4 dB insertion, 80%+ combining efficiency) with the versatility to serve space communications, industrial lasers, and fiber network upgrades from a single core technology. The main risk is execution across multiple markets simultaneously, each with long sales cycles and established incumbents. Its dual-use positioning in defense and space may provide resilience, but scaling commercial adoption in industrial laser processing and telecom will determine its trajectory.