NeoPhotonics

What NeoPhotonics does

NeoPhotonics, founded in 1996 and headquartered in San Jose, California, developed indium phosphide (InP) based photonic components, lasers and integrated circuits for optical communications. In August 2022 the company was acquired by Lumentum Holdings Inc. and now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with its product family integrated into Lumentum's AI infrastructure and optical communications portfolio and served via Lumentum's website and operations.

The product portfolio spans four categories: data center components (datacom transceivers, optical circuit switches, EMLs/DMLs modulated lasers, CW lasers, high-speed LIPD photodiodes); DCI/metro/long-haul/submarine components (tunable DWDM transceivers, narrow-linewidth tunable lasers, coherent modulators, ROADMs, optical amplifiers, pump lasers, passive components, submarine components); industrial lasers (kW fiber lasers, pulsed and ultrashort pulsed lasers); and sensing VCSELs in >50W and <50W variants. The strategic technology bets are Ultra-High-Power (UHP) external laser sources for co-packaged optics (CPO), VCSEL-on-driver 2.5D stacked designs for scale-up interconnect, and the OCI MSA-compliant 50G NRZ scale-up optical interconnect standard. Manufacturing is globally distributed across San Jose (HQ fab), Greensboro (new 240,000 sq ft 6-inch InP wafer facility from Qorvo), Dongguan (China), Thailand, and Slovenia, with documented field reliability of less than 1 FIT and zero laser diode field failures since 2014 plus over 20 billion cumulative device hours on Raman pump heritage.

The business model is direct enterprise hardware sales of optical components to hyperscale data center operators (Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft) and AI infrastructure leaders (NVIDIA), with the NVIDIA relationship deepened by a $2 billion investment in Lumentum containing multibillion-dollar purchase commitments. Legacy telecom (DCI, metro, long-haul, submarine) remains a secondary revenue stream, and industrial laser and sensing VCSEL segments provide diversification. Revenue mechanics are quote-based B2B hardware sales with no disclosed recurring or subscription components; product pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated enterprise by enterprise.

Name

NeoPhotonics

Legal name

NeoPhotonics Corporation

Website

https://neophotonics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

NeoPhotonics, a Lumentum subsidiary since August 2022, designs and manufactures Indium Phosphide (InP) photonic components — including EMLs, UHP external laser sources for co-packaged optics, transceivers, VCSELs and coherent optics — for hyperscale AI data centers (Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA) and telecom networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical Networking Components

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576), Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Optoelectronics & Photonics (LED/Laser/Optical ICs) (HDAHAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optoelectronic Emitters (LED/Laser/VCSEL) (HDAHALAL), Optoelectronic Receivers & Transceivers (Photodetectors/Optical Modules) (HDAHALAM), Photodiodes & Discrete Photodetectors (HDAHAHAL), Optical Transceivers (SFP/SFP+/SFP28/QSFP/QSFP-DD/OSFP) (HDAFAEAE), Optical Transponders & Muxponders (Coherent/Pluggable) (HDAFADAB), Optoelectronic / Photonics Foundries (Silicon Photonics/LED/Laser) (HDAHACAG)

Keywords

• Optical components
• Photonic integrated circuits
• Indium phosphide lasers
• Datacom transceivers
• Coherent optical modules

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Optical Component Sales: Sale of optical components including lasers, transceivers, and photonic integrated circuits to data center operators and telecom companies
2. Laser Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of InP-based optical devices including EMLs, DMLs, CW lasers, and UHP lasers for AI infrastructure applications

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NeoPhotonics designs and manufactures indium phosphide (InP) based photonic components and modules — including datacom transceivers, optical circuit switches, modulated lasers (EMLs/DMLs), CW lasers, UHP lasers, narrow-linewidth tunable lasers, coherent modulators, ROADMs, optical amplifiers, pump lasers, VCSELs, and high-speed photodiodes. These components enable high-bandwidth optical interconnects for AI data centers, metro/long-haul/submarine telecom networks, industrial laser processing, and 3D sensing applications.

Product overview

NeoPhotonics (now part of Lumentum) offers a comprehensive portfolio of photonic components and modules for optical communications, industrial lasers, and sensing applications. The product portfolio is organized into four main categories: Data Center products including Datacom Transceivers, Optical Circuit Switches, Modulated Lasers (EMLs, DMLs), and CW Lasers; DCI/Metro/Long-Haul/Submarine products including Tunable DWDM Transceivers, Narrow Linewidth Tunable Lasers (iTLA), Coherent Modulators, ROADMs, Optical Amplifiers, Pump Lasers, Passive Components, and Submarine Components; Industrial Laser products including kW Fiber Lasers, Pulsed Lasers, and Ultrashort Pulsed Lasers; and Sensing VCSEL products with options for >50W and <50W operating power. Key enabling technologies include Ultra-High-Power (UHP) Lasers for co-packaged optics, LIPD high-speed photodiodes for 200G/lane applications, and advanced VCSEL technology for 3D sensing. The portfolio supports AI infrastructure, data center connectivity, telecom networks, and industrial manufacturing applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Datacom Transceivers Optical transceivers for data center communications, enabling high-speed data transmission within and between data centers.
• Optical Circuit Switches Optical switches for dynamic reconfiguration of data center networks, enabling scalable and flexible connectivity.
• Modulated Lasers (EMLs, DMLs) Electro-absorption modulated lasers (EMLs) and directly modulated lasers (DMLs) for high-speed optical transmission in data center and telecom applications.
• CW Lasers Continuous wave lasers serving as light sources for silicon photonics and other optical applications in data centers.
• Ultra-High-Power (UHP) Laser External laser source platform for co-packaged optics (CPO) applications, derived from Raman pump laser technology, delivering high reliability for AI data center infrastructure.
• LIPD (High-Speed Photodiodes) High-speed photodiodes for receiving optical signals at 200G/lane and higher data rates in AI and data center networks.
• Tunable DWDM Transceivers Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) transceivers for high-capacity metro, long-haul, and submarine optical networks.
• Narrow Linewidth Tunable Lasers (iTLA) Integrated tunable laser assemblies with narrow linewidth for coherent optical communications in DCI, metro, long-haul, and submarine applications.
• Coherent Modulators Optical modulators for coherent transmission systems enabling high-capacity data communications over long distances.
• ROADMs and Wavelength Management Reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers and wavelength management components for flexible optical network architecture.
• Optical Amplifiers Optical amplifiers for boosting signal strength in metro, long-haul, and submarine optical networks.
• Pump Lasers Laser pumps for optical amplification in fiber optic communication systems.
• Passive Components and Modules Passive optical components and modules for wavelength management and signal routing in optical networks.
• Submarine Components Specialized optical components designed for undersea submarine cable communications systems.
• kW Fiber Laser Kilowatt-class fiber lasers for industrial material processing applications.
• Pulsed Lasers Pulsed lasers for industrial processing, metrology, and sensing applications.
• Ultrashort Pulsed Lasers Ultrashort pulsed lasers for precision micro-machining and scientific applications.
• Sensing VCSEL Products (>50W) Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with operating power greater than 50W for 3D sensing, automotive LiDAR, and industrial sensing applications.
• Sensing VCSEL Products (<50W) Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with operating power less than 50W for consumer electronics sensing, automotive in-cabin sensing, and other lower-power applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• EML laser shipments grew more than 8x from FY20 to FY26E
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NVIDIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNVIDIA invested $2 billion in Lumentum (which acquired NeoPhotonics) under a nonexclusive agreement that includes multibillion-dollar purchase commitments and access rights to future production capacity for advanced laser and optical networking products. NVIDIA named as customer for UHP lasers in 1.6T 2xDR4 OSFP modules.
• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor hyperscale customer for optical components including electro-absorption modulated lasers (EMLs) and optical circuit switches for AI data center clusters.
• AmazoncoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor hyperscale customer shifting from traditional telecom buyer to primary revenue driver for optical components in AI infrastructure.
• MetacoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor hyperscale customer using optical components for AI data center deployments, mentioned in context of CPO deployment success with Broadcom.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor hyperscale customer for optical components in AI infrastructure applications.
• BroadcomcoreTechnology or IntegrationReported one million cumulative 400G-equivalent port device hours of flap-free CPO operation at Meta, along with significant power savings and improved link reliability. Lumentum UHP lasers serve as external laser sources for CPO systems.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Broadcom: Supplies optical components and CPO switch ASICs for hyperscale AI clusters; co-developed CPO reference design with Meta that uses external laser sources. Closely comparable in CPO/datacom optical connectivity for hyperscalers.
• Intel (Silicon Photonics): Supplies silicon photonics-based optical transceivers and integrated optical connectivity for data centers. Directly comparable in high-volume optical interconnect for hyperscale environments.
• Marvell Technology: Through its Inphi legacy, supplies high-speed optical DSPs and PAM4 components for cloud and AI data center optical interconnects. Closely comparable as a key silicon and optical technology supplier to hyperscalers.
• Lumentum Holdings: Parent company of NeoPhotonics since August 2022; operates the same InP laser and photonic integrated circuit technology portfolio for AI data center and telecom customers. Most directly comparable as the technology is shared.
• Innolight Technology: Leading Chinese-headquartered supplier of high-speed optical transceivers (400G/800G/1.6T) for hyperscale cloud and AI data center customers. Directly comparable as a high-volume optical transceiver peer serving the same hyperscaler buyers.
• Coherent Corp: Major merchant supplier of InP and GaAs laser components, optical transceivers, and photonic devices for datacom, telecom, and 3D sensing. Directly comparable in InP laser technology for hyperscale and AI data center applications.
• Cisco (Acacia Communications): Acquired Acacia, a leading supplier of coherent optical interconnect and high-speed optical modules for DCI, metro, long-haul, and now data center applications. Directly comparable in coherent optical components for hyperscale and telecom networks.
• Eoptolink Technology: Optical transceiver manufacturer serving hyperscale data center and 5G telecom customers with 400G/800G modules. Directly comparable in high-speed datacom optics with overlapping hyperscaler customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Sumitomo Electric Industries: Large diversified industrial conglomerate with a significant optical communications and laser components business serving telecom and data center markets. Comparable as an established incumbent in optical components, though broader portfolio.
• Mitsubishi Electric: Diversified electronics manufacturer with optical semiconductor, laser diode, and optical module product lines for communications and industrial sensing. Comparable as an established incumbent supplier of laser diodes and optical components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NeoPhotonics_tw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neophotonics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors27 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NeoPhotonics