Optics11 in naval talks as UK trials its fibre-optic underwater sensing

Dutch startup Optics11 is in talks with dozens of navies about its optical-fibre sensing technology for underwater monitoring and threat detection, according to chief executive Paul Heiden. He said between five and ten navies are already clients. The UK is among the countries trialling the technology.

Speaking at the Euronaval exhibition outside Paris on 4 November, Heiden said the company expects around 35 paid navy trials this year. These include several for the German Navy through local defence-prime partners, and others for Sweden, the United Kingdom, Belgium and France.

Optics11 is a technology supplier to Ocean Infinity, which the UK selected to manage the anti-submarine surveillance programme under Britain's Atlantic Bastion initiative. The company also works with partners including Saab, Rheinmetall, Fincantieri, Thales and Exail, Heiden said.

The system beams light through optical fibre to detect acoustic vibrations underwater. It can be used for static seabed monitoring or in towed arrays. Heiden said it is more sensitive and offers higher resolution than passive sonar based on piezoelectric detection, and that it can detect an oil tanker at 100 kilometres.

The portfolio includes OptiBarrier, a stationary seabed monitoring system, and OptiArray, a towed array that can be deployed from submarines and unmanned vessels. The company is developing a towed array for the Royal Netherlands Navy for the future Orka-class submarines ordered from France's Naval Group.

The greater sensitivity produces a much larger volume of data per cubic nautical mile. Heiden said this made third-party sonar processing software unworkable, so Optics11 built its own edge-computing software. He said AI tools have cut the effort needed for development, leaving the firm with ten software developers rather than the 60 to 80 once planned. The savings can go towards acoustic specialists, he said.

Optics11 raised around €100 million over the past 15 months, including €25 million in venture debt from the European Investment Bank. Heiden said the firm will probably raise again next year at a valuation above US$1 billion. It is not yet profitable and he expects it to turn cash-flow positive in 2028.

He said investor attitudes changed in November 2024, after a vessel dragged its anchor in the Baltic Sea and severed several cables. Before that, financial firms excluding defence companies had complicated fundraising in early 2024.

Much of the work is classified. Heiden said the company relies on trade secrets rather than patents for its key developments of the past seven to eight years, with Dutch government specialists helping protect data and vetting staff.

The firm plans to build and sell locally, working with a local prime contractor in each market. Any new funds would partly go towards offices and hiring in the Middle East and South East Asia.