Dutch Company Secures €25 Million EU Loan to Protect Global Internet Cables
Amsterdam, Thursday, 15 January 2026.
Europe’s digital lifelines face growing threats, but Dutch innovator Optics11 just secured crucial funding to defend them. The Amsterdam-based company received a €25 million loan from the European Investment Bank on January 14, 2026, to advance fiber-optic sensors that can detect sabotage attempts on undersea cables carrying global internet traffic. With 70% of Europe’s trade flowing through maritime routes, this technology provides early warning systems for submarine monitoring and critical infrastructure protection, strengthening European strategic autonomy against underwater security threats.
How the Fiber-Optic Detection System Works
Optics11’s technology operates on advanced fiber-optic sensing principles that can detect ultra-sensitive vibrations and acoustic signals in harsh underwater environments [1][2]. The system monitors faint signatures that indicate potential threats to subsea infrastructure, providing operators with something invaluable: early warning time to assess, coordinate, and respond appropriately [4]. The technology facilitates vibration and acoustic monitoring specifically designed for submarine monitoring, border surveillance, and structural health monitoring of naval assets and electricity networks [1][2]. This early detection capability enables prevention of failures, limits downtime, and supports faster response times when disruptions occur [5].
Strategic Importance for European Infrastructure
The timing of this investment reflects growing concerns about underwater infrastructure vulnerability. In December 2025, just one month before Optics11’s funding announcement, the UK government launched its Atlantic Bastion undersea warfare program to protect cables, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure from hostile activity in the North Atlantic, linking threats to increased Russian undersea operations [3]. The uninterrupted supply of power, oil, gas, and data on land and subsea, as well as uninterrupted maritime trade representing 70% of Europe’s trade volume, are cornerstones of European prosperity and defense capabilities [2]. Paul Heiden, Optics11’s CEO, emphasized the urgency: “Disruptions to subsea infrastructure, maritime trade or failures in high-voltage grids have immediate and far-reaching consequences on our society” [2][3].
Financial Structure and European Support
The €25 million venture debt financing agreement, signed on January 14, 2026, between the European Investment Bank and Optics11 is backed by the European Commission’s InvestEU programme [1][2][3]. This funding structure reflects the EU’s strategic commitment to developing critical infrastructure protection technologies, with the Netherlands holding a 5.2% share of the EIB, which has provided over €36 billion in financing for Dutch projects historically [1]. The InvestEU program leverages a €26.2 billion EU budget guarantee to mobilize at least €372 billion in additional investment [1]. EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot noted the strategic importance: “From the energy sector to security and defence capabilities, we must have the best technology for known and unknown threats. The solutions developed by Optics11 provide critical solutions and competitive advantages for the world that is coming” [1][2].
Deployment Plans and Market Impact
Optics11 will use the EIB financing to accelerate productization and Europe-wide adoption of its unique monitoring technology to protect critical infrastructure where it is most vulnerable: underwater and within high-voltage grids [1][2][4]. The funding will specifically accelerate research and development and productization of the company’s advanced fiber-optic sensing technology [5]. Operating from the Netherlands, Optics11 positions itself as a leader in fiber-optic sensing technology for early warning systems, with applications aimed at protecting sea-lanes, offshore infrastructure, and energy supply [1]. The company’s technology addresses two core critical sectors for European strategic autonomy: energy and underwater security, strengthening Europe’s ability to monitor and defend its ocean territories [1][2].