Bifrost Communications and the EIC Accelerator: Longer Fibre

Bifrost Communications, founded in 2015 and based in Kongens Lyngby north of Copenhagen, has developed "quasi-coherent" optical receivers that let fibre links carry more data over longer distances without the power-hungry digital signal processors used in fully coherent systems. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's January 2023 cut-off for blended finance and received an EU grant of €2.50 million for qc-rosa, a €3.57 million project that ran from August 2023 to July 2025, according to CORDIS. The aim was "a fully developed, tested, and qualified" receiver optical sub-assembly, or ROSA.

The project is closed. Its final report states that the first receiver prototypes showed "somewhat lower performance than expected" but still reached 30 km at 25 Gbps, beyond the initial goal, and that "housing issues and assembly issues prevent the use of Bulk ROSA in a product", according to the CORDIS reporting page. The company switched to a photonic integrated circuit version and built a complete 25 Gbps transceiver with 40 km reach. First customer deliveries were scheduled for spring 2026, after the project ended, according to an OFC exhibitor release.

Where Bifrost Stands Now

In September 2026 Bifrost announced a collaboration with Sumitomo Electric Device Innovation to build what it calls the industry's first 50G DWDM SFP56 quasi-coherent pluggable transceiver, according to its news page. At OFC 2026 it launched a "Priority Access Program" offering early test samples and priority for volume orders as production capacity ramps up. Its 2025 accounts show a net loss of DKK 13.8 million and a gross loss of DKK 8.8 million, the widest yet, according to filings with the Danish Business Authority.

The Technology: Coherent-Like Reach Without the Power Bill

Bifrost says its technology bridges the gap between conventional direct-detection optics and coherent systems that rely on power-intensive digital signal processors. It compensates for signal distortion in analogue form, which the company says lowers cost, power use and latency. The final report says the technology could extend 5G fronthaul links from 10 km to 20 km and cut central offices by up to 90%, and no independent test of these figures has been published.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award promised a fully qualified receiver sub-assembly. The project delivered working prototypes that beat the reach target, custom chips reaching 40 km at 25 Gbps and a complete transceiver, but the original bulk design was abandoned and the chip-based replacement was still going through foundry runs at the end. Customer deliveries were scheduled only afterwards.

1. Reach targetDelivered30 km, later 40 km.
2. Product-ready receiverPartialBulk design dropped.
3. Complete transceiverDeliveredSFP28, 25 Gbps.
4. Customer deliveriesAfter projectSpring 2026.

The Money

In May 2024 Bifrost closed a first-tranche round with the EIC Fund, two new external investors and existing owners, according to the company, which did not give the amount. Equity went from minus DKK 8.9 million to plus DKK 16.7 million that year. In 2025 it raised another DKK 17.5 million in cash, and ended the year with DKK 18.8 million in the bank. It has lost DKK 41.5 million from 2021 to 2025.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Fibre access and mobile fronthaul are the backbone of Europe's gigabit targets, and the EIC Fund describes Bifrost as upgrading "the delivery of affordable and energy-efficient gigabit connections". A ten-person Danish company now works with a Japanese component maker on its next product.

The Verdict

Bifrost Communications and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.