NTT DOCOMO Ventures invests in Ayar Labs, Inc., a Next-Generation Optical I/O Solution Provider

NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Jun Yasumoto; hereafter “NDV”) has invested in Ayar Labs, Inc. (Headquarters: San Jose, California, USA; CEO: Mark Wade; hereafter “Ayar Labs”) through its managed fund. Ayar Labs is a developer and provider of next-generation optical I/O technologies.

Ayar Labs, a pioneering startup in optical interconnect solutions, was founded in 2015 in San Francisco, USA. The company leverages silicon photonics technology, which integrates optical components directly on to silicon substrates, to develop advanced solutions such as ” Chiplets” and “Interconnects.” These components enable Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), a groundbreaking approach that embeds optical communication capabilities directly within a chip package, servers, network devices, and other hardware.
By combining these technologies, Ayar Labs facilitates data transmission using optical signals at both the chip level and between chips. This innovation delivers transformative performance improvements: bandwidth increases of 5–10 times, energy efficiency gains of 4–8 times, and latency reductions to one-tenth of current levels. The company’s solutions are poised for deployment not only in data centers and AI systems but also in sectors like aerospace, high-performance computing, and telecommunications.

As data transmission demands surge in data centers and AI systems, the need for faster communication speeds and reduced power consumption has become a critical challenge. Optical signaling, as an alternative to traditional electrical signals, has garnered attention as a solution to these issues. Within the NTT Group, the “IOWN Initiative” aims to develop next-generation ICT infrastructure based on optical technology.

Through this investment, NTT Group seeks to deepen collaboration with Ayar Labs, a company approaching optical interconnect development from a unique perspective. Together, we aim to drive advancements in optical I/O technologies, accelerate practical applications of innovative solutions, and foster the creation of new value in the field.

■Ayar Labs, Inc. Profile