AMD acquired Enosemi, a silicon photonics startup, on Wednesday for an undisclosed quantity. The acquisition goals to bolster AMD’s co-packaged optics innovation for AI techniques, in accordance with the corporate.
Silicon photonics makes use of photons for knowledge transmission, which AMD views as a quicker various to conventional electrical strategies. In late 2024, AMD reportedly collaborated with Taiwanese startups on silicon photonics R&D.
Brian Amick, SVP of tech and engineering at AMD, acknowledged in a weblog submit that the acquisition will scale the corporate’s capacity to assist and develop photonics and co-packaged optics options throughout next-generation AI techniques. He added, “As AI fashions develop bigger and extra complicated, the necessity for quicker, extra environment friendly knowledge motion is accelerating.”
Enosemi, primarily based in Silicon Valley, was based in 2023 by Ari Novack and Matthew Streshinsky. The corporate produces photonic built-in circuits, together with optical interconnects meant to combine computing and networking parts inside knowledge facilities.
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Previous to being acquired, Enosemi raised $150,000 in enterprise capital, receiving backing from corporations comparable to New Mexico Classic Fund. In keeping with PitchBook, the corporate employed 16 folks as of Might. Ari Novack’s LinkedIn profile signifies he’s now a silicon design engineering fellow at AMD.
This acquisition follows AMD’s earlier settlement to accumulate ZT Techniques. AMD is promoting ZT Techniques’ server-manufacturing enterprise for $3 billion, an settlement reached earlier in Might.
Throughout an earnings name in February, CEO Lisa Su acknowledged that AMD’s AI chip income reached $5 billion in 2024.