The first examples of heterocycle-based multi-branched dyes with efficient two-photon absorption (TPA) activity are reported; the novel chromophores exhibit large TPA cross sections (as high as 1600 × 10⁻⁵⁰ cm⁴ s photon⁻¹ molecule⁻¹, measured with 150 fs laser pulses at 800 nm); a strong cooperative enhancement in the branched systems with respect to the one-dimensional sub-units is found.