Avicena, A maker of Micro LED-based chip-to-chip optical interconnect technology, announced that it has raised $25 million in Series A funding from Samsung Catalysis Fund, Micron Ventures, Cerberus Capital Management, and Clear Ventures. Funds will be used to develop products based on Avicena Photonic Computer Interface (I/O) solutions.
Avicena is a privately-held company based in California, USA, dedicated to developing LightBundle, a Micro LED-based ultra-low energy optical link technology with high bandwidth density and energy efficiency. Applications include high performance computing systems (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) and interconnections between separated memory chips, as well as next-generation links such as sensors, 5G wireless and aerospace. Avicena technology is a key component in the development of new networking and computing architectures that reduce the energy impact on the planet.
For this financing, the investors believe that Avicena LightBundle I/O solution significantly improves existing system performance by eliminating existing issues of copper links, including power consumption, latency, coverage, and bandwidth density, and by accelerating interconnectivity between computing memory chips. New high-performance architectures for artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), cloud computing, next generation cellular radio, remote sensing, and aerospace applications.
In addition, LightBundle technology, based on GaN microtransmitter arrays, takes advantage of a Micro LED display ecosystem that can be integrated into any high-performance CMOS integrated circuit, and Avicena takes advantage of the latest advances in the display industry to enable high-volume, low-cost production of highly optimized Micro LED arrays. This reduces the cost of LightBundle technology. Avicena is working with LED manufacturer Lumileds to increase the production of Micro LED arrays