‘We built a technology which uses light to control light’: Finchetto CEO on ditching electronics to make networks faster

In August 2025, I wrote about Finchetto, a UK photonics startup working on an optical packet switch that keeps data entirely in the optical domain rather than bouncing between light and electronics.

The firm’s breakthrough technology could make hyperscale networks dramatically faster, just as AI systems begin to strain today’s infrastructure. The idea also aims to cut power use while remaining scalable as link speeds increase.

In a bid to find out more, I spoke to Finchetto CEO Mark Rushworth about how the technology works, why packet switching in optics matters, where the hard problems still are, and how this could fit into real hyperscale and AI networks.