Avicena to demo connectorized microLED optical interconnect for AI at ECOC 2026

Avicena plans to demonstrate what it calls the world’s first connectorized microLED optical interconnect for AI infrastructure at ECOC 2026, using a new “LightBundle eKit” implementation built around an inline detachable optical interface. The connectorized approach is aimed at making microLED-based optics easier to assemble, test, service, and upgrade in AI systems where interconnect density and maintainability are operational requirements, not nice-to-haves.

The company’s connectorized LightBundle eKit combines its laser-free microLED transceiver technology with a detachable optical interface using an industry-standard MPO form factor. Avicena says the connector also uses a ferrule optimized for multicore fiber bundles, aligning the physical interface with the platform’s multicore-fiber approach.

Avicena’s recent LightBundle evaluation kits are specified at 1 Tbps and incorporate up to 335 independent microLED data channels operating at up to 3 Gbps per channel. Those channels are coupled through multicore fiber to integrated photodetector arrays. The new connectorized implementation keeps that microLED-to-multicore-fiber-to-photodetector architecture, but adds a detachable interface intended to support modular integration workflows.

For data center engineers and system architects, the practical point here is serviceability. As optics moves closer to XPUs and memory, the ability to independently validate electronics and optics, swap parts during bring-up, and support field replacement starts to matter as much as peak bandwidth. A connectorized interface can reduce friction in manufacturing and maintenance, but it also introduces another loss and alignment point that has to hold up under repeated mate/de-mate cycles.

Avicena describes LightBundle as a “wide-and-slow” optical architecture that distributes bandwidth across hundreds of lower-speed optical channels, rather than pushing very high per-lane speeds. The company also argues that eliminating lasers avoids requirements such as external lasers, wavelength stabilization, optical modulators, and complex wavelength-division multiplexing.

“Following the shipment of our 1 Tbps LightBundle evaluation kits, we are now demonstrating how the same fundamental architecture can be implemented with the modularity and serviceability required by system manufacturers,” said Marco Chisari, CEO of Avicena.

At ECOC 2026, Avicena’s live demo is set to show an inline connectorized LightBundle eKit link operating between a microLED transmitter and integrated photodetector arrays, including detachment and reconnection, real-time data transmission, and bit-error-rate monitoring. Ben Bajarin, CEO and Principal Analyst at Creative Strategies, said, “Avicena’s work on a connectorized interface addresses an important part of that challenge and is a necessary step toward making microLED interconnect technology practical for AI infrastructure.”

Avicena says it is engaging with hyperscalers, AI accelerator companies, memory manufacturers, networking companies, system OEMs, and packaging partners to evaluate LightBundle implementations for future AI infrastructure.