Montréal-based startup One Silicon Chip Photonics (OSCP) has closed a $6 million USD ($8.6 million CAD) Series A funding round to speed up development of its sensor technology designed to work without reliance on GPS.
OSCP builds photonic gyroscopes and inertial measurement units (IMUs) that help autonomous vehicles and robots navigate when satellite navigation systems are jammed, degraded, or simply unavailable. According to OSCP chief operating officer Alex Lintott, the company’s customers include corporate and government clients operating in environments ranging from conflict zones to rural fields and dense city centres where GPS signals can be unreliable.
The Series A round, which closed in August, was an all-equity, all-primary capital raise. It was led by New Science Ventures, a new American investor, with participation from fellow new backer Emerging Ventures, also based in the US, and existing UK-based investor 2050 Capital. OSCP said the funds will go toward commercializing its current products and developing its next generation of technology.
From Fibre-Optic to Chip-Scale
OSCP was founded in 2015 by CEO Kazem Zandi, who holds a PhD in engineering physics from Polytechnique Montréal and has 15 patents in advanced microsystems and integrated photonics. Before founding OSCP, Zandi worked as a senior optoelectronics devices engineer at Defence R&D Canada and as a senior process engineer at Québec’s C2MI.
Lintott explained that IMUs generally come in two forms: micro-electromechanical systems (MEMs), which are inexpensive, small, and lightweight but less accurate, and fibre-optic gyroscopes (FOGs), which offer much greater precision but are bulkier and costlier. OSCP’s goal is to shrink a FOG-level device down onto a chip, a feat the company expects to fully achieve within the next two to three years.
Lintott said OSCP’s current chip-based hardware units are already roughly the size of a matchbox or small apple and are achieving accuracy levels that few competitors can match, at a lower cost. He pointed to growing market demand in 2024 and 2025 as the driver behind the decision to raise the Series A round. Lintott, who also serves as a partner at investor 2050 Capital, joined OSCP last year to support the company’s growth.
Canadian Advantage in Global Markets
Lintott, an American based in Austin, Texas, said OSCP’s status as a Canadian company gives it an edge when selling internationally, citing Canada’s comparatively lighter export controls on this type of technology versus the United States, along with its reputation as a stable trade partner. While OSCP is interested in eventually entering the US market, the company’s near-term focus remains on serving demand from clients in Canada and Europe.
OSCP currently has eight open roles and plans to grow its existing 18-person team to 30 employees over the next 12 months as it works to expand its market position.
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