Vexlum, based in Tampere, Finland, makes vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs), semiconductor lasers that produce high power at precise wavelengths, for quantum computers, atomic clocks, semiconductor metrology and optical communication. It designs and grows its own gain chips. The EIC Accelerator granted €2,425,438 towards a total cost of €3,464,911 for SEMIQLEAP, "Novel Semiconductor Lasers for the Industrial Quantum Leap", which ran from May 2024 to April 2026, according to CORDIS. The project report says Vexlum reached 10-watt output from chips in the 700 to 800 nanometre range used for trapped-ion and neutral-atom quantum systems, automated wafer production and validated a new compact OEM laser platform, according to CORDIS.
Vexlum launched that platform, the VXL, in January 2026. In February it raised €10 million: €6 million in equity led by Kvanted with Tesi and the EIC Fund, the €2.4 million EIC grant and a €1.6 million Nordea loan, which it called the largest seed round to date for a Nordic photonics company, according to Vexlum. Its revenue rose 48% to €4.19 million in 2025 with an operating profit of €95,000, according to Asiakastieto.
Company file
- Legal entity
- Vexlum Oy, business ID 2858176-7
- Headquarters
- Tampere, Finland; laboratory in London
- Products
- VALO and VXL single-frequency VECSEL lasers
- Investors
- Kvanted, Tesi, EIC Fund
- Partners
- Menlo Systems, Oxide Corporation, European Space Agency
- Markets
- Quantum computing, atomic clocks, metrology, space
- EIC funding
- Grant first, €2.4M, plus EIC Fund equity
Where Vexlum Stands Now
In July 2026 Vexlum opened a laboratory in London and appointed Stefan Truppe as managing director of Vexlum UK, citing a surge in UK demand for the VXL from neutral-atom and trapped-ion quantum computing researchers, according to Vexlum. Earlier in 2026 it agreed to work with Menlo Systems on optical clocks and with OXIDE Corporation on deep-ultraviolet lasers, and in 2025 it won a European Space Agency contract for a yellow guide star laser for satellite communication.
"The VXL laser platform delivers the same high-output powers as Vexlum's VALO platform, in a dramatically smaller and more resilient package."
Vexlum, January 2026The Technology: Precise Colours, High Power
Quantum computers that use trapped ions or neutral atoms, and optical atomic clocks, need lasers at many specific wavelengths; Vexlum says more than 100 are used across quantum technologies. Such lasers are usually bulky and expensive. Vexlum's VECSELs combine semiconductor chips with an external cavity to reach high power at the exact colour needed. The VXL is a two-litre laser engine that replaces larger laboratory instruments, the company says.
What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows
SEMIQLEAP promised novel semiconductor lasers ready for industrial quantum use. The record shows higher chip power, automated production, a new compact product on the market and customers abroad. The project's final report has not been published, but its main product has shipped.
- High-power chipsDelivered10W at 700-800 nm.
- Production automationDeliveredProject report.
- Compact OEM laserLaunchedVXL, January 2026.
- Follow-on investmentDelivered€10M round.
The Money
Vexlum's revenue grew from €422,000 in 2021 to €4.19 million in 2025, while its staff grew from 7 to 27. It has made an operating profit in each of those years, though the margin fell from 7.8% in 2024 to 1.6% in 2025 as it expanded. The size of the EIC Fund's share of the €6 million equity has not been published.
What Cannot Be Checked
Questions for the EIC
How much the EIC Fund invested, what the final SEMIQLEAP report says, and how many VXL lasers have been sold are not public.
Why Europe Should Care
Lasers are one of the supply chain bottlenecks for quantum technology, and Vexlum makes them from its own chips in Finland. A profitable European supplier of such a critical component gives Europe's quantum industry a source it controls.
What the award promised
Industrial-grade semiconductor lasers for quantum technology.
What the record shows
A launched compact laser, €10M raised, profits and tenfold revenue growth.
The Verdict
Delivered, and growing
Vexlum is what the EIC Accelerator is meant to produce: a product shipped, private money raised and a business that pays its way.
Vexlum and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.
