AMD has acquired Enosemi, a startup designing customized supplies to assist silicon photonics product improvement. The phrases of the deal, introduced Wednesday, weren’t disclosed.
Silicon photonics makes use of mild — photons — to transmit knowledge, providing a sooner and extra environment friendly different to conventional electrical communication. AMD and different chipmakers have proven an growing curiosity within the tech. Late final yr, AMD reportedly teamed up with a number of Taiwan startups for a silicon photonics R&D collaboration.
AMD says that its acquisition of Enosemi will “speed up [its] co-packaged optics innovation for AI techniques.”
“As AI fashions develop bigger and extra complicated, the necessity for sooner, extra environment friendly knowledge motion is accelerating,” Brian Armick, SVP of tech and engineering at AMD, wrote in a blog post. “Enosemi has collaborated with us as an exterior improvement accomplice on photonics, and this acquisition extends that profitable relationship. Now, as a part of AMD, the crew will assist us instantly scale our means to assist and develop a wide range of photonics and co-packaged optics options throughout next-gen AI techniques.”
Enosemi, primarily based in Silicon Valley, builds and ships photonic built-in circuits — microchips containing two or extra photonic parts that type a functioning circuit. Based in 2023 by Ari Novack and Matthew Streshinsky, each of whom have a background in semiconductor engineering, Enosemi presents merchandise together with optical interconnects, which combine computing and networking parts inside a knowledge heart.
Previous to its exit, Enosemi raised $150,000 in VC funding from backers including New Mexico Classic Fund. The corporate had 16 staff as of Might, according to Pitchbook.
Novack’s LinkedIn profile now lists him as a silicon design engineering fellow at AMD.
Enosemi is AMD’s first acquisition following the corporate’s huge deal to purchase ZT Methods, for which the previous initially paid round $4.9 billion. (AMD reached an settlement to promote ZT Methods’ server-manufacturing enterprise for $3 billion earlier this month.)
The corporate is doubling down on its AI investments; in 2024, AMD’s AI chip income reached $5 billion, CEO Lisa Su mentioned during an earnings call in February.