AC Photonics, Inc.
AC Photonics designs and manufactures passive fiber optic components and provides OEM/ODM photonics engineering solutions for aerospace, defense, medical, communications, and LiDAR & sensing customers globally, with distribution across 25+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersSanta Clara, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What AC Photonics, Inc. does
AC Photonics, Inc. is a privately held photonics engineering solutions provider founded in 1995 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company designs and manufactures passive fiber optic components, including DWDM and CWDM mux/demux modules, isolators, splitters and couplers, optical switches, circulators, gain flattening filters, pump combiners, polarization-maintaining products, photodiodes, collimators, patch cords, attenuators, pigtailed components, mode conditioners, and free space optics. Underlying capabilities include thin film coating technology, planar lightwave circuit (PLC) processing, fused fiber technology, and proprietary non-flux metal bonding micro-optic packaging, supported by vertically integrated production and cleanroom manufacturing.
The company serves five primary verticals: Communications (data center interconnects, telecom equipment, CATV, fiber network infrastructure), Medical (MRI, OCT, imaging and diagnostic equipment), Aerospace, Defense, and LiDAR & Sensing (autonomous vehicles, industrial sensing, environmental monitoring). ISO 9001:2015 certification and ITAR registration qualify it for defense and aerospace programs.
AC Photonics operates a sales-led B2B model with quote-based pricing, Net 30 terms, and no self-serve e-commerce. Distribution is direct from its Santa Clara headquarters combined with regional channel partners (Acal BFi across 15+ European countries, Boreal Communications in South America, Eparts Corporation in Korea) and an international fulfillment subsidiary (AC Photonics HK Limited) in Hong Kong. Revenue is generated through three streams: catalog component sales, OEM/ODM custom design and manufacturing services spanning component to system-level builds, and engineering services including consulting and alternative approach development.
AC Photonics, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AC Photonics, Inc.
- Legal name
- AC Photonics, Inc.
- Website
- https://acphotonics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- AC Photonics designs and manufactures passive fiber optic components and provides OEM/ODM photonics engineering solutions for aerospace, defense, medical, communications, and LiDAR & sensing customers globally, with distribution across 25+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AC Photonics, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fiber Optic Components
- NAICS
- Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33429), Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing (3359)
- SIC
- Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs) (HDAHAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF)
Keywords
Where AC Photonics, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Clara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
AC Photonics, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
Revenue model
- Fiber Optic Components and Products: Sale of standalone passive fiber optic components including DWDM, CWDM, switches, circulators, isolators, splitters, couplers, and related products
- OEM/ODM Solutions: Custom design and manufacturing services for OEM components, module design, and system integration
- Engineering Services: Value-added engineering on demand, consulting, and alternative approach development for customer projects
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | B2B component sales with quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
AC Photonics, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AC Photonics designs, manufactures, and sells passive fiber optic components and photonic solutions for OEM customers across communications, medical, aerospace, defense, and LiDAR/sensing markets. The company also provides custom OEM/ODM design and manufacturing services, delivering components ranging from standard catalog items to integrated sub-systems and full system builds.
Product overview
AC Photonics, Inc. is a global photonics value added engineering solutions provider specializing in passive fiber optic components and photonic solutions. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of stand-alone passive components including DWDM, CWDM, WDM, Isolators, Splitters/Couplers, Switches, Circulators, Gain Flattening Filters, Pump Combiners, Polarization Maintaining (PM) Products, Photodiodes, Collimators, Patch Cords, Attenuators, Pigtailed Components, and Mode Conditioners. The portfolio also includes hybrid devices combining multiple component functions, test and measurement equipment for optical testing and quality control, and free space optics products. ACP provides integrated design and manufacturing solutions through its OEM/ODM services, offering vertical integration from component design through full system builds across aerospace, communications, defense, LiDAR & sensing, and medical verticals. The company maintains over 25 years of experience with global manufacturing footprint and cleanroom capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DWDM (Dense Wavelength-Division Multiplexing)
Quantifiable outcome
- 25+ years serving demanding industries with millions of components delivered
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use AC Photonics, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
AC Photonics, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
AC Photonics, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Acal BFicoreRegional channel partner network covering UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, and Portugal. Represents ACP sales in European markets with dedicated country-specific contacts.
- Boreal CommunicationscoreSales representative covering Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Contact: Luiz Duque, Galeria Martinelli, Campinas, Brazil. Regional coverage for South American markets.
- Eparts CorporationcoreSales representative covering Korea. Located at Shindorim PINPOINT Tower, Seoul, Korea. Regional coverage for Korean market.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AC Photonics, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ciena Corporation: Ciena is a leading networking systems vendor that integrates photonic components into optical transport systems. While more systems-focused, it competes with AC Photonics indirectly as a buyer and influencer of optical component specifications across the same communications customers.
- Molex (Koch Industries): Molex manufactures fiber optic interconnect products, including passive components and subsystems, serving telecom, datacom, medical, and industrial markets. It competes with AC Photonics in select fiber optic component categories and offers broader electronic interconnect breadth.
- Furukawa Electric / OFS: Furukawa Electric (and its OFS subsidiary) manufactures specialty optical fibers, fiber lasers, and passive optical components for telecom, medical, and industrial markets. It overlaps with AC Photonics in select passive component categories, particularly through OFS.
- Broadcom Inc. Broadcom is a major semiconductor and infrastructure software company that designs optical components, transceivers, and photonic ICs for data center and telecom. It competes with AC Photonics in advanced optical networking with much greater scale and silicon photonics investment.
Emerging players
- TeraXion: TeraXion is a Canadian designer and manufacturer of photonic components, including fiber Bragg gratings, DWDMs, and high-speed components for aerospace, defense, and telecom markets, directly overlapping AC Photonics' specialty passive component portfolio.
- Accelink Technologies: Accelink is a Chinese manufacturer of optical passive components and subsystems, including AWG, WDM, isolators, and circulators. It overlaps significantly with AC Photonics' passive component portfolio for telecom customers.
Direct peers
- NeoPhotonics (acquired by Lumentum): NeoPhotonics specialized in high-speed hybrid photonic integrated circuits and passive components for DWDM systems, directly overlapping AC Photonics' core WDM/DWDM product lines for telecom and datacom customers.
- Lumentum Holdings: Lumentum is a leading manufacturer of optical and photonic products, including WDM components, isolators, circulators, and switches for telecom, datacom, and 3D sensing. It directly competes with AC Photonics in passive fiber optic components across similar end markets including communications and sensing/LiDAR.
- Coherent Corp (formerly II-VI Incorporated): Coherent is a global photonics and compound semiconductor leader offering a broad portfolio of optical components, modules, and subsystems for communications, industrial, aerospace, and defense markets. It competes with AC Photonics in passive optical components and integrated photonic subsystems.
- O-Net Communications: O-Net Communications is a Hong Kong/Shenzhen-based photonics company manufacturing passive optical components, active optical transceivers, and sensing products. It competes with AC Photonics across WDM components, isolators, and LiDAR/sensing applications in the global market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AC Photonics, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceAC Photonics, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
AC Photonics, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AC Photonics, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
AC Photonics, Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
AC Photonics, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AC Photonics, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AC Photonics, Inc.
What does AC Photonics, Inc. do?
AC Photonics designs, manufactures, and sells passive fiber optic components and photonic solutions for OEM customers across communications, medical, aerospace, defense, and LiDAR/sensing markets. The company also provides custom OEM/ODM design and manufacturing services, delivering components ranging from standard catalog items to integrated sub-systems and full system builds.
Is AC Photonics, Inc. a public or private company?
AC Photonics, Inc. is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was AC Photonics, Inc. founded?
AC Photonics, Inc. was founded in 1995. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is AC Photonics, Inc. based?
AC Photonics, Inc. is headquartered in Santa Clara, United States, in the North America region.
How does AC Photonics, Inc. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fiber Optic Components and Products are the primary driver. The others are OEM/ODM Solutions and engineering Services.
Who are AC Photonics, Inc.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ciena Corporation, Molex (Koch Industries), Furukawa Electric / OFS and Broadcom Inc.. Emerging players are TeraXion and Accelink Technologies. Direct peers are NeoPhotonics (acquired by Lumentum), Lumentum Holdings, Coherent Corp (formerly II-VI Incorporated) and O-Net Communications.
Does AC Photonics, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for AC Photonics, Inc..
What industry is AC Photonics, Inc. in?
AC Photonics, Inc.'s product category is Fiber Optic Components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAHAAAH, Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs), with a secondary code of IMAGAJAF, Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors). Its NAICS code is 33429 and its SIC code is 3827.