PicoJool has announced the launch of its new class of pixel-level photonics technology after securing $12 million in funding led by Playground Global. The company claims its approach enables optical links that match copper connections in cost, compactness, and manufacturability. PicoJool reports that its innovations are designed to support next-generation computing systems where high-bandwidth and low-cost optical connectivity are required.
The company is focused on the development and deployment of high-bandwidth Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs). According to PicoJool, these lasers, combined with novel parallel optics and packaging methods, are integrated into massively parallel pluggable modules. The primary application for this technology is in hyperscale data centers and large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) systems, where traditional copper-based connections are hitting physical and economic limits.
PicoJool states that its VCSELs enable longer reach and more flexible network architectures specifically for the largest AI-focused data centers. The modules are designed to deliver bandwidths at levels of 800 gigabits per second, 1.6 terabits per second, and are targeting future expansions to support 400 gigabits per second per lane systems and beyond.
Al Yuen, founder and CEO of PicoJool, said, “The relentless demand for bandwidth in hyperscale and AI data centers requires a fundamental shift in connectivity, moving beyond the physical and economic constraints of copper.” Yuen adds that the new funding will be used to accelerate manufacturing and extend the company’s low-cost VCSEL solutions across external foundries.
Funding from Playground Global will support manufacturing scale-up and expanded research and development efforts. The company’s founder, Al Yuen, holds more than 50 patents in photonics, including prior inventions such as Active Optical Cables and the QSFP transceiver.
PicoJool is based in Palo Alto, California, with research and development and operations in both the US and Taiwan.
Source: PicoJool
