---
title: €1.8m Investment for DCU spin-out Pilot Photonics
description: Kernel Capital invest in DCU Spin-out, Pilot Photonics
image: https://content.pilotphotonics.com/hubfs/Comb%20laser.png
---

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 Sep 1, 2021 10:00:00 AM

# €1.8m Investment for DCU spin-out Pilot Photonics

[Pilot Photonics](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/author/pilot-photonics)

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- September 1, 2022

Kernel Capital, through The Bank of Ireland Kernel Capital Growth Fund II, is investing €1.8m investment in Dublin City University spin-out company Pilot Photonics. Photonics is used in manufacturing, medical devices, telecoms, security and even for scanning people’s grocery items. Pilot Photonics’ innovative technology is based on more than ten years of pioneering research and development undertaken at DCU, Trinity College Dublin and Tyndall National Institute in Cork.

The company is led by CEO William Oppermann and CTO Frank Smyth. William Oppermann was founder of Kernel Capital portfolio company MPSTOR which was successfully sold to Sanmina in 2016. Leo Clancy, chief executive of Enterprise Ireland, said that Ireland was early to recognise the importance of photonics and has invested heavily in photonics R&D for more than 25 years. “Pilot Photonics is leveraging that state investment in early-stage R&D to create advanced technology products with global potential,” he added. “The world we know today would not exist without photonics and the influence of the technology will grow even further as it converges with advances in Artificial Intelligence, delivering new applications across a broad spectrum of markets including telecoms, healthcare and autonomous vehicles, Denise Sidhu, a Partner with Kernel Capital, said. Thursday, 24 Mar 2022.

## Related posts

[![Pilot Photonics Optical Frequency Generator Unit Integrated Photonics for Space Instrumentation](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Optical%20FGU%20Space%20Pilot%20Photonics.jpg?height=200&name=Optical%20FGU%20Space%20Pilot%20Photonics.jpg)](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/pilot-photonics-secures-1m-esa-contract-for-space-photonics-development)

[European Space Agency](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/european-space-agency), [mmWave](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/mmwave), [News](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/news), [Space science instruments](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/space-science-instruments), [innovation](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/innovation), [Optical Technologies](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/optical-technologies), [Optical Connectivity](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/optical-connectivity), [Space](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/space), [Satellite communications](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/satellite-communications)

## [Pilot Photonics Secures €1M ESA Contract for Space Photonics Development](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/pilot-photonics-secures-1m-esa-contract-for-space-photonics-development)

[Pilot Photonics](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/author/pilot-photonics) 

 Jun 4, 2026 12:00:00 PM

New project launched to further develop Pilot's Optical Frequency Generator Unit, harnessing...

[Read more](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/pilot-photonics-secures-1m-esa-contract-for-space-photonics-development)

[![Pilot Photonics' nanosecond-switching tunable integrated photonics lasers](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pilot%20Photonics%20tunable%20laser%20detail.jpg?height=200&name=Pilot%20Photonics%20tunable%20laser%20detail.jpg)](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/mbryonics-chooses-pilot-photonics-laser-for-space-optical-communication-transceivers)

[Datacentres](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/datacentres), [Optical Networks](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/optical-networks), [Tunable lasers](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/tunable-lasers), [Coherent Optical Communication](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/coherent-optical-communication), [News](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/news), [innovation](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/innovation), [Optical Technologies](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/optical-technologies), [Optical Connectivity](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/optical-connectivity), [Space](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/space), [Satellite communications](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/satellite-communications)

## [MBRYONICS Chooses Pilot Photonics’ Laser for Space Optical Communication Transceivers](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/mbryonics-chooses-pilot-photonics-laser-for-space-optical-communication-transceivers)

[Pilot Photonics](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/author/pilot-photonics) 

 Jun 18, 2026 12:00:00 PM

Pilot Photonics' nanosecond-switching tunable laser set to enable MBRYONICS' terabit class...

[Read more](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/mbryonics-chooses-pilot-photonics-laser-for-space-optical-communication-transceivers)

[![](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pilot%20Photonics%20Minister%20Peter%20Burke.jpg?height=200&name=Pilot%20Photonics%20Minister%20Peter%20Burke.jpg)](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/pilot-photonics-awarded-10.4-million-from-european-innovation-council)

[Datacentres](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/datacentres), [AI](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/ai), [News](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/news), [5G/6G](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/5g-6g), [Photonic integration](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/photonic-integration), [Space](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/tag/space)

## [Pilot Photonics Awarded €10.4 Million From European Innovation Council](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/pilot-photonics-awarded-10.4-million-from-european-innovation-council)

[Pilot Photonics](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/author/pilot-photonics) 

 Jul 2, 2026 3:17:36 PM

Thursday, 2nd July 2026 – Dublin based integrated photonics firm, Pilot Photonics, have been...

[Read more](https://content.pilotphotonics.com/press-releases/pilot-photonics-awarded-10.4-million-from-european-innovation-council)

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