Relativity Networks raises $22M for faster fiber technology

Light travels faster through air than through glass. Relativity Networks is betting $30M that the fiber optic industry’s reliance on glass-core fiber was a mistake.

The Orlando-based startup has raised approximately $22M in its latest funding round to commercialize hollow-core fiber technology, which replaces the solid glass core of traditional fiber optic cables with air. The result is data transmission speeds roughly 30-47% faster than conventional fiber, with latency cut by about 32% over the same distance.

A decade of research, finally headed to market

The company’s ChronoCore technology is built on more than ten years of research at the University of Central Florida’s CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics. More than $10M was invested in that research before anyone started talking about commercialization.

The company emerged from stealth mode in early 2025. A $4.6M pre-seed round closed in February 2025, followed by a $6.1M seed round in July 2025. The latest round, roughly $19.5M, brings total funding to approximately $30M.

Relativity Networks integrates its hollow-core fiber with existing single-mode fiber infrastructure through proprietary couplers and connectors, avoiding the need to replace deployed fiber cable worldwide.

Why AI data centers care about microseconds

The company’s primary target is AI hyperscale data centers. Relativity’s ChronoCore fiber achieves latency of approximately 3.4 microseconds per kilometer, enabling roughly 1.5 times the reach of conventional fiber without performance degradation. For data center operators facing power constraints, that means facilities can be sited further from users or from each other — near cheap, abundant energy sources — while maintaining the same performance characteristics.

Prysmian partnership signals scale ambitions

In March 2025, Relativity Networks announced a strategic partnership with Prysmian, the world’s largest cable manufacturer. Production will take place at Prysmian’s facilities in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and in the US.

Initial deployments have included high-density cable testing specifically designed for data center environments.

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