all-inorganic void emerging as architectural standard for next-generation AR waveguides; The Seed 1 expansion adds the University of Massachusetts, Channel 39 and Hub Investment Group, bringing total funding to $7.5 million
los angeles, 4 May 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Myrias Optics, the leading commercial platform for all-inorganic metaoptics fabricated via additive nanoimprint lithography (NIL) at wafer scale, today announced the closing of a $2.7 million Seed 1 extension as well as over 25 active customer engagements in AR/VR, datacom and consumer electronics. All-inorganic NIL produces AR waveguides that are small, thermally stable, and manufacturable on existing devices – the combination needed to take smart glasses from prototype to large-scale consumer hardware. The company debuted its AR waveguide and diffractive optics platform at DisplayWeek 2026 (iZone, Los Angeles Convention Center, May 5-7).
The University of Massachusetts, Channel 39 and Hub Investment Group have joined the nine-investor syndicate led by MassVentures. With a $3.3 million seed round led by Asia Optical and $1.5 million in NSF SBIR funding, Myrias has raised $7.5 million for early design partners in 2026 to move forward from R&D to pilot production samples.
To schedule a meeting with Myrias at Displayweek 2026: fijol@myriasoptics.com | watkins@myriasoptics.com
25+ active engagements and counting Since initial commercial funding, Myrias has built an active engagement pipeline of over 25 accounts spanning the entire photonics value chain:
AR/VR OEM and Tier 1 Supplier – Evaluating all inorganic waveguides for next generation smart glass platforms including several global OEMs and Fortune 500 technology companies.
Datacom and co-packaged optics leaders – High-index metaoptics are being explored for optical interconnects as AI-driven bandwidth demands accelerate.
Consumer Electronics and Automotive OEM – Assessing thermally stable optics for LIDAR, automotive sensing, and consumer device integration.
Manufacturing Ecosystem Partners – Preparing zero equipment and substrate supply chains for pilot production scale-up.
“The pace of inbound interest since February has been remarkable. OEMs who were in evaluation mode are now requesting samples and discussing pilot timelines. The market is not waiting, and neither are we.” – John Fizzol, CEO, Myrius Optics
Independent verification drives interest Customer attraction is enhanced by a wave of independent technical verification. In April 2026, Chris Chinnock, one of the display industry’s most respected analysts and President of Insight Media, published a comprehensive white paper, “Void vs. Etched Waveguides for AR Glasses: Is Full-Inorganic Void the Inevitable Choice?: Part 1: Process”Distributed to over 15,000 industry customers. Part 1 of the paper systematically evaluates three competing waveguide manufacturing approaches, with Part 2, soon to be published, evaluating manufacturing, performance and cost issues. Readers can then decide whether Myrias’s all-inorganic void approach provides the best option for the next generation of waveguides for AR glasses.
That same month, Electronic Design published a feature article, “An innovative approach to a new type of optics”Outlining the company’s technology platform and its implications for AR glasses and data center interconnect.
The convergence of analyst support, trade press coverage and accelerating customer engagement has created a flywheel effect that the Seed 1 extension reflects.
technology platform All-inorganic NIL replaces the polymer nanostructures used in conventional nanoimprint lithography, eliminating the degradation that limits polymer-based waveguides by using UV and thermally-stable inorganic materials as a drop-in replacement. Myrias’ platform produces wafer-scale metaoptics with performance characteristics that differentiate it from both polymer NIL and direct-etch approaches:
high refractive index — production is ready fromFrom 1.9 to 2.3 on Glass today, aiming for 2.6 by Q3. Higher index means wider field of view on fewer waveguide plates – thinner, lighter glasses at lower cost per eye.
Aspect ratio up to 12:1 – ~6:1 vs. traditional polymer NIL – Provides brighter displays with higher coupling efficiency and lower optical loss.
Full thermal and optical stability – No degradation under heat, UV or humidity. The glasses survive direct sunlight, hot cars and tropical climates without image drift or material breakdown, giving the consumer all-day wearability.
Drop-in device compatibility – Runs on existing EVG, Canon SmartNIL and GermanLitho NIL production lines, keeping capex low and enabling way under $100 per eye on volume.
Tunable index via ALD backfill – Precise waveguide index matching without material change, eliminating rainbow artifacts and eyestrain for social-grade wearability.
“This funding takes us to refractive index 2.6 and that’s the limit. At 2.6, full-inorganic zero becomes the inevitable manufacturing option for widespread adoption in the AR and VR industry. No other approach delivers this index at wafer scale on existing production equipment.” -Jim Watkins, Ph.D., Founder, Myrius Optics
architectural decision window Timing is strategic. Between 2027 and 2029, every major AR OEM (Meta, Apple, Samsung, Snap) will lock down the manufacturing approach for their next generation smart glasses waveguides. The waveguide market, estimated at $565 million by 2025, is increasingly focused on diffractive architectures. Three approaches are competing:
Type 1 – Polymer Void: Widely deployed but thermally limited, low index, aspect ratio limited to ~6:1.
Type 2 – Complete-Inorganic Void (Myrias): Drop-in for Type 1 equipment. High index, 12:1 aspect ratio, perfect thermal stability. The only approach combining zero economics with inorganic performance.
Type 3 – Direct Etching: High performance but capital-intensive and limited to semiconductor-grade fabs.
Unlike single-application startups, Myrias’ platform serves multiple high-growth photonics markets from a single manufacturing process, including AR waveguides, datacom interconnects, beam-shaping optics for LIDAR, and diffractive elements for consumer and automotive sensing.
Meet Mirias at Displayweek 2026 Myrius Optics will be exhibiting in the Innovation Zone (iZone) at Displayweek 2026, Los Angeles Convention Center, May 5-7. The founding team will be available for meetings, demonstrations of wafer-level meta-optics samples, and discussion of pilot production partnerships.
To contact a company and/or schedule a meeting on DisplayWeek: John Fijol, Ph.D., CEO – fijol@myriasoptics.com Jim Watkins, Ph.D., Founder – watkins@myriasoptics.com www.myriasoptics.com
About Myrius Optics
Myrius Optics is commercializing all-inorganic metaoptics fabricated via nanoimprint lithography (NIL) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) on silicon carbide and glass substrates. The company’s wafer-level platform delivers tunable refractive index up to 2.6, aspect ratios greater than 12:1, and the thermal and optical stability required for next-generation AR waveguides, datacom interconnects, and consumer and automotive applications. Jim Watkins, Ph.D. established by. (UMass Amherst, NSF Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing) and CEO John Fiesol, Ph.D. Under the leadership of. (formerly Applied Materials), Myrius operates out of UMass Amherst’s world-class nanofabrication facilities. The company has raised $7.5 million so far from MassVentures, Asia Optical, UMass, NSF and a syndicate of deep-tech venture investors.
Editor’s Notes: This release is an update to Myrius Optics’ announcement of the closing of its initial Seed 1 round of $2.1M on February 27, 2026. The round has since been expanded to $2.7M with additional strategic investors.
Additional accessories available upon request:
Chris Chinnock Video Review and White Paper Part 2 (Upcoming – Insight Media)
high-resolution product images, Wafer photos, and founder headshots
technical one pager and capacity brief
Executive interviews and demo appointments are available upon request.
