RoadMap Systems, an IT hardware manufacturer, has secured £515,000 ($867,000) in its series A. The round was led by Parkwalk Advisors for its Cambridge University Enterprise Fund II.
RoadMap commercialises four patents licensed from Cambridge University’s Cambridge Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics. The patents are based on exploiting silicon wavelength switch technology.
RoadMap aims to tackle the increasing pressure felt by network operators, as data transferred over the internet constantly increases and margins are being squeezed. The spin-out’s technology uses optical switching at the wavelength level in order to deal with data rates above 400 Gigabits per second – necessary for the next generation of telecommunication products.
Optical switching is a form of circuit switching, which describes the establishing of a continuous connection between two end-points for the duration of a session. The technology is a digital, highly advanced version of switchboard operators, who did the same thing by plugging the correct cables into the correct jacks to establish a call.
RoadMap Systems is hoping its technology, which it is currently developing with network operators to ensure interoperability, will make money through licensing deals. Parkwalk Advisors are expecting that the company will need to raise a second round within twelve months.
