One Silicon Chip Photonics

One Silicon Chip Photonics (OSCP), a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Montreal, Canada, operates as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of motion sensors. Founded in 2015 by Kazem Zandi, the company designs and develops photonic integrated circuits-based inertial measurement units (IMUs), accelerometers, and gyroscopes. The idea for the company originated from Zandi's doctoral research in engineering physics at Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, where he focused on developing integrated-optics based inertial sensors. With over 20 years of industrial experience in photonics and holding 12 patents, Zandi's background is directly aligned with the company's core technology.

OSCP targets the autonomous vehicle market, including drones, robots, and self-driving cars, in addition to applications in aerospace, defense, and oil and gas exploration. The company's business model is centered on selling its IMUs to these burgeoning sectors. The global market for photonic IMUs was estimated at over a billion dollars in 2024 and is projected to see significant growth, driven by the demand for high-precision navigation. OSCP's technology leverages advancements in silicon photonics to create motion sensors that are more compact, reliable, and cost-effective than conventional solutions like Fiber-Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs), which can be prohibitively expensive for commercial vehicle use. By aiming for a price point under \$500, compared to the \$15,000 cost of traditional FOGs, OSCP aims to remove a significant barrier to the widespread adoption of autonomous navigation.

The company's core product is a high-performance optical motion sensor based on integrated photonics and the Sagnac effect. Unlike MEMS-based IMUs, OSCP's sensors have no moving parts, which results in lower noise, higher reliability, and immunity to harsh environments, including electromagnetic interference. This makes them particularly suitable for applications where electrical sensors may fail. Since becoming operational in 2019, the company has secured approximately \$8 million in funding and has developed a working prototype. OSCP has established partnerships with large companies, government entities, and universities and has drawn interest from incubators like Silicon Catalyst and ventureLAB.

Keywords: inertial measurement units, photonic integrated circuits, autonomous navigation, motion sensors, silicon photonics, fabless semiconductor, gyroscopes, accelerometers, ADAS, optical sensors