COMPANY INFO
Ayar Labs, Inc. was founded in 2015 by Mark Wade, Chen Sun, and Alex Wright-Gladstein. The company has around 126 employees as of December 2023 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Ayar Labs operates in the computer hardware industry, focusing on solving bandwidth and power bottlenecks by using light to move data. They have developed the world's first optical I/O chiplets, revolutionizing computing by making it faster and more efficient. Their website is ayarlabs.com.
Ayar Labs, Inc. is a pioneer in the computer hardware manufacturing industry, founded in 2015 by Mark Wade, Vladimir Stojanovic, Chen Sun, Milos Popovic, Rajeev Ram, and Alex Wright-Gladstein. Headquartered in San Jose, California, with additional offices in Emeryville, Cambridge (UK), Bangalore, Santa Clara, and London, Ayar Labs leverages cutting-edge technology to solve bandwidth and power bottlenecks in computing. The company has developed the world’s first optical I/O chiplets, enabling faster and more efficient data movement through light, which is revolutionizing data center and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
Ayar Labs, Inc. funding has been significant in driving its optical interconnect innovations. Over the course of 11 funding rounds, Ayar Labs has raised approximately $372 million. The company’s funding history highlights a clear strategy: early-stage capital for foundational technology, followed by scale-up investment as market demand for optical I/O solutions in AI workloads surges. Major milestones include a transformative Series D in December 2024 that pushed the company’s valuation over $1 billion. Key investors—including Advent International, Light Street Capital, AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel Capital—underscore confidence in Ayar Labs’ potential to address critical data movement challenges. The consistent support from both venture capital and strategic investors reflects Ayar Labs, Inc. investment strategy focused on scaling production and accelerating broad adoption in AI and high-performance computing markets.
This landmark round, led by Advent International, Alumni Ventures, and Light Street Capital, will fund high-volume manufacturing to meet increasing demand for Ayar Labs’ optical I/O solutions, supporting AI infrastructure at unprecedented scale.
This supplemental Series C funding, led by Capital TEN, is targeted at expanding market presence, enhancing product capabilities, and sustaining momentum as Ayar Labs’ optical I/O technology gains industry traction.
Led by Boardman Bay Capital Management, this round enabled Ayar Labs to ramp up production and accelerate the market adoption of its game-changing optical interconnect technology.
BlueSky Capital and Downing Ventures led this round, fueling expansion of Ayar Labs’ product offerings and increasing its reach in the rapidly growing optical hardware sector.
This round provided resources to continue scaling operational capacity and further develop technology.
Led by Lockheed Martin Ventures, this funding supported tailoring Ayar Labs' technology for defense sector applications.
DARPA granted funding to support research and development in Ayar Labs' optical I/O tech, emphasizing the importance of its innovations to national research initiatives.
Silicon Valley Bank provided debt financing to aid operational expenses and begin scaling production.
Playground Global led this round, with the capital used for product development and engagement with early customers.
Founders Fund backed the company's initial development of optical I/O technology and foundational talent recruitment.
A leading global private equity firm, Advent International led the Series D round, positioning Ayar Labs, Inc. for large-scale production and market dominance in the optical hardware sector.
The venture capital arm of Intel has played a significant strategic role in Ayar Labs, Inc. funding, supporting the advancement of data center interconnect technologies that align with Intel’s focus on next-generation computing.
An influential name in growth investing, Light Street Capital led the Series D alongside Advent, backing Ayar Labs’ expansion and facilitating access to broader growth markets.
AMD’s venture arm is a key strategic investor, reinforcing Ayar Labs, Inc. venture capital network and supporting innovation that enhances performance for AI and high-performance computing workloads.
NVIDIA’s investment in Ayar Labs, Inc. signals strong industry confidence in the role optical I/O technology will play in the future of scalable computing, specifically for AI acceleration and data-intensive applications.
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