Prisma Photonics raises $30 million to bring its AI-driven fiber sensing tech into the defense arena

18 October, 2025

The Israeli startup’s Hyper-Scan technology turns existing fiber-optic cables into kilometer-scale sensors. The round, led by Protego Ventures, accelerates its global expansion across energy and defense sectors

[Above: Uvision Air’s HERO 120 loitering munition drone]

Israeli startup Prisma Photonics, which develops fiber-optic sensing technology for large-scale infrastructure monitoring, has raised $30 million in a round led by Israeli defense-tech fund Protego Ventures — signaling the company’s growing foothold in defense and critical-infrastructure security. The new investment brings Prisma’s total funding to roughly $80 million.

The round also included Spain’s Adara Ventures and the investment arm of one of Latin America’s largest power-grid operators. Their participation is expected to accelerate Prisma’s expansion across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America — regions simultaneously grappling with the integration of renewable energy and aging transmission networks.

According to the company, its technology is already deployed by 15 leading power-transmission utilities in the U.S. and Europe. Prisma’s system continuously monitors, in real time, the dynamic capacity of high-voltage lines under varying environmental conditions, enabling utilities to boost throughput by 20 to 30 percent without upgrading physical infrastructure. “Critical infrastructure everywhere is under mounting pressure — from security threats and extreme weather to the global shift toward renewables,” said Dr. Eran Inbar, CEO of Prisma Photonics. “Our AI transforms raw optical-fiber signals into precise, real-time intelligence. That means our technology can safeguard a military base one day and optimize renewable integration the next.”

Turning optical fibers into massive sensors

Founded in 2017, Prisma Photonics developed Hyper-Scan Fiber Sensing, a technology that turns ordinary telecom fibers into vast, continuous sensor networks. Instead of deploying thousands of discrete sensors, the system uses a single laser source that sends short light pulses through the fiber and analyzes the tiny backscatter created by the Raman effect. By interpreting these return signals, the platform can detect vibration, heat, or other environmental changes along tens or even hundreds of kilometers — with no new field hardware required.

Each stretch of up to 100 kilometers is monitored by an Optical Interrogator Unit that transmits data to a customer control center. Advanced algorithms and AI models process the signals, classify events, and pinpoint their exact location — whether it’s an oil leak, unauthorized excavation near a gas line, or a lightning strike on a transmission tower.

For power utilities, the company’s PrismaPower system can spot faults and abnormal activity such as equipment tampering, tower climbing, short circuits, or severe weather events. Because it leverages fibers already embedded within the grid, deployment is fast and non-intrusive.

Physics meets AI

At the heart of Prisma’s technology lies a subtle physical principle: as light travels through a fiber, a tiny fraction of photons scatter backward. Though the reflected signal is just a billionth of the original intensity, sophisticated analysis can extract actionable insights — much like radar interprets returning echoes. The company’s algorithms filter out noise and reconstruct a live, dynamic picture of what’s happening around the infrastructure in real time.

Dr. Inbar said the new capital will accelerate Prisma Photonics’ global growth amid rising interest from grid operators, energy companies, and defense organizations. “Our mission is to make the world’s infrastructure safer, smarter, and more resilient,” he concluded. “As the world shifts toward distributed and renewable energy, it also needs a distributed sensing layer — and that’s exactly what we deliver.”

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Posted in: AI , ElectroOptics , News

Posted in tags: Prisma Photonics

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