CEO Interview with Mike Noonen of Swave Photonics

Mike Noonen is CEO of Swave Photonics and has 30 years of experience leading technology businesses resulting in two IPOs and multiple acquisitions. Most recently he was the CEO of MixComm acquired by Sivers Semiconductor in early 2022.

Noonen was the Chairman and co-founder of Silicon Catalyst, the world’s first semiconductor incubator and EE Times 2015 Start-up of the Year. He has advised and led turnarounds at numerous innovative private and public companies such as Ambiq Micro, SiFive, Silego (acquired by Dialog Semiconductor), Mythic, Kilopass, Adapteva and Rambus.

In 2013 he was elected to the Global Semiconductor Alliance Board of Directors. Noonen holds multiple patents in the areas of Internet telephony and video communications.

Tell us about your company?

Swave Photonics is a fabless semiconductor company that designs Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR) chipsets with proprietary diffractive photonics technology. Using proven non-volatile Phase Change Materials (PCM) on a standard CMOS semiconductor process, Swave’s HXR technology creates high-resolution 3D images for Augmented Reality (AR) glasses and other applications. The HXR chip with 100s of millions to billions of these nano-pixels is illuminated by a low-power laser light source. The resulting images accurately portray an image’s depth in comparison to its surroundings, providing a natural and immersive viewing experience. Swave will deliver a reality-first user experience that integrates seamlessly with the physical world.

What problems are you solving?

Swave addresses the limitations of traditional AR form factors and displays. Its proprietary technology steers and sculpts lightwaves to achieve true holography. This allows the human brain and eyes to visually process the image naturally, solving the Vergence-Accommodation Conflict (VAC) — the phenomena in existing AR options that causes headaches, nausea and fatigue. Swave’s HXR technology does not require a waveguide, reducing size, weight, and cost, and greatly improving overall efficiency allowing for all-day use.  By using holography, Swave is able to handle prescription lens compatibility in software making it easy to provide optical correction for those that need it without requiring lens inserts or other cumbersome solutions.

What application areas are your strongest?

Swave’s first application area is in AR, with a focus on enabling compact, lightweight smartglasses that offer all-day battery life and prescription compatibility. Its HXR chip is the first spatial light modulator specifically designed for digital holography and AI-powered spatial computing. This groundbreaking technology provides a reality-first user experience where digital elements seamlessly interact with and complement the physical world. While the initial focus is on AR glasses, the applications for Swave’s HXR technology extend across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, retail, communication, gaming, education, automotive and aerospace.

What keeps your customers up at night?

Customers are challenged with creating AR solutions that are functional and stylish and don’t sacrifice performance or comfort. Current spatial computing experiences often rely on bulky and uncomfortable form factors, which isolate users and deliver unnatural or predominantly digital experiences. Customers are concerned with finding a technology that enables lightweight, attractive form factors while maintaining high performance and extended battery life.

What does the competitive landscape look like and how do you differentiate?

The competitive landscape for spatial computing is challenging, with many companies working to overcome the limitations of current AR and XR technologies. Swave’s HXR technology stands out and differentiates itself for several reasons:

• True holography: Swave achieves true 3D holography with up to 64 gigapixels, providing high quality, immersive images that accurately depict depth and context.

• All-day use:  Swave’s highly efficient holographic technology enables all-day use through light-steering to ensure all the light is used where it’s needed without throwing any away, it’s bistable pixels don’t require refresh until the image actually changes, and it doesn’t require inefficient waveguide technology

• Form factor: Unlike traditional solutions that rely on bulky and complex optics, Swave’s HXR eliminates the need for waveguides, varifocal lenses, and stereoscopy enabling glasses that look similar to those you already wear.

• DynamicDepth: Swave’s patented DynamicDepth technology allows images to be portrayed at life-like distances.

What new features/technology are you working on?

Swave is actively working on advancing its HXR technology to bring it closer to commercialization.

Swave’s technology also has the potential to extend beyond smartglasses. Future applications include heads-up displays (HUDs) for automotive use that offer drivers an augmented and immersive visual experience that enhances safety and usability. In the long term, Swave aims to create immersive holographic displays that do not require glasses, paving the way for a revolutionary shift in how we interact with digital information.

How do customers normally engage with your company?

The company is now taking orders for HXR development kits. These development kits include hardware and software that allow companies to design, prototype, and test new AR hardware and form factors using Swave’s cutting-edge chipset, offering a streamlined and efficient pathway for companies to bring their products to the market. The Swave team also engages with new customers and provides demonstrations at industry events.

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