CollPlant Acquires LightSolver, Enters the Photonic Computing Market
CollPlant Biotechnologies has completed its acquisition of Israeli deep-tech company LightSolver, taking the company into the high-performance computing and photonics sectors. The deal gives CollPlant control of LightSolver’s Laser Processing Unit (LPU), an all-optical computing technology designed to handle demanding workloads using light rather than conventional electronic processing. The acquisition closed on September 3, following the definitive agreement announced on August 31. CollPlant said the transaction is intended to give LightSolver additional resources to accelerate development of its technology, expand strategic partnerships and move closer to commercial deployment.
LightSolver wants to compute with lasers
Founded in 2020 by Weizmann Institute physicists Dr. Ruti Ben Shlomi and Dr. Chene Tradonsky, LightSolver has developed what it calls the Laser Processing Unit. Instead of relying entirely on electronic circuits, the system uses coupled lasers to perform calculations through an all-optical architecture. The company is targeting computationally intensive tasks such as scientific and engineering simulations, large-scale linear systems, optimization and partial differential equations. Potential applications span aerospace, defense, energy, financial services and Physical AI.
The idea is not to replace conventional CPUs and GPUs outright. LightSolver's technology is being developed as another computing layer that could take on particular workloads where speed and energy efficiency are important. That puts the company in an increasingly competitive field of photonic and high-performance computing, where researchers and technology companies are exploring how light can be used to move or process information more efficiently.
From technology validation to commercialization
For LightSolver, the acquisition comes as it works to move its photonic computing platform beyond development and testing. CollPlant said the transaction will support the company's technology roadmap and its efforts to expand engagements with strategic partners. LightSolver is already working with global organizations as it advances the LPU toward commercial use. Its targeted applications include complex simulations and optimization problems that can be particularly demanding for conventional computing systems. The company is working toward commercial deployment of the technology rather than presenting it as an already widely available computing product. The transaction was structured largely around equity. At closing, CollPlant issued ordinary shares and pre-funded warrants and made a $5 million investment in LightSolver. Additional milestone-based warrants are tied to specific technological and commercial achievements.
A major shift for CollPlant
The acquisition is an unusual expansion for CollPlant, whose established business is in regenerative medicine and medical aesthetics. The company develops products based on recombinant human collagen produced through plant-based genetic engineering, with applications including tissue repair, aesthetics and organ manufacturing. CollPlant says the two businesses will operate alongside each other, allowing it to pursue the photonic computing opportunity while continuing its healthcare activities.
Following the acquisition, LightSolver CEO and co-founder Dr. Ruti Ben Shlomi also joined CollPlant's board. Her background includes research in quantum, atomic and molecular physics, as well as earlier experience as a process engineer at Intel. For LightSolver, the immediate challenge is turning its laser-based computing architecture into a commercially viable platform. For CollPlant, the acquisition opens an entirely new technology business built around high-performance and photonic computing, with the coming development and commercial milestones likely to determine how significant that expansion becomes.
