Netherlands: Optics11 to revolutionise protection of undersea cables with EU loan

• EIB provides €25 million venture debt financing to Dutch fibre-optic sensor innovator Optics11 for R&D on their technologies for civilian and defence applications.
• The EIB loan, supported under the European Commission’s InvestEU programme, supports advanced fibre-optic sensing technology for energy and underwater security.
• Optics11’s technology set to revolutionise undersea monitoring capacity and resilience of high voltage grids, strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy and defence capabilities.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €25 million venture debt financing agreement with Dutch fibre-optic sensor innovator Optics11. The company uses advanced fibre-optic sensing technology with applications in two core critical sectors for European strategic autonomy: Energy and Underwater Security.

Optics11’s technology enables ultra-sensitive vibration and acoustic monitoring in harsh environments, supporting missions such as submarine monitoring, border surveillance, and structural health monitoring of naval assets and electricity networks.

The EIB backing for Optics11 is supported under the European Commission’s InvestEU programme.

“Our continent is working hard to make sure it can hold its own in many different fields, and we need to support the companies that can make that happen.” said EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot. “From the energy sector to security and defence capabilities, we must have the best technology for known and unknown threats. The solutions developed by Optics11 provide critical solutions and competitive advantages for the world that is coming. With companies like Optics11 we are building a safer, more secure, Europe.”

“Disruptions to subsea infrastructure, maritime trade or failures in high-voltage grids have immediate and far-reaching consequences on our society,” said Optics11 CEO Paul Heiden. “With this EIB financing, Optics11 accelerates the deployment of unique fibre-optic sensing technologies that protect the infrastructure so essential to Europe’s security and energy resilience."

Optics11 will use the EIB venture debt financing to accelerate the productisation and Europe-wide adoption of its unique monitoring technology to protect critical infrastructure where it is at its most vulnerable: underwater and within high-voltage grids. The uninterrupted supply of power, oil, gas and data on land and subsea, as well as uninterrupted maritime trade - 70% of Europe’s trade volume – are cornerstones of our prosperity and our ability to protect ourselves.  

Background Information:

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. The Netherlands owns a 5,2% share of the EIB. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals and national priorities. More than 90% of its activity is in Europe. Over the years, the EIB has made available more than €36 billion in financing for Dutch projects in various sectors including social infrastructure, research & development, sustainable mobility, drinking water, healthcare and SMEs.

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investment for EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments previously available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is deployed through implementing partners who will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.

Optics11 is the world leader in fibre-optic sensing technology for ultra-sensitive early warning systems. Operating from the Netherlands, a country renowned for high-tech industry and maritime innovation, Optics11 works passionately to help protect our sea-lanes, critical offshore infrastructure, and energy supply against disruption.