Avanex

About Avanex

Avanex Corporation, founded in 1997 by engineer Simon Cao, was a key player in the optical networking industry. Cao, an expert in manipulating light, conceived of a method to double the information-carrying capacity of optical fibers by cutting the spacing between wavelengths in dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) systems. This development addressed the burgeoning demand on the internet's backbone at the time. The company secured seed financing from Sequoia Capital to commercialize Cao's "interleaving filter" technology.

Avanex went public on February 4, 2000, raising $216 million in its initial public offering. The company's business was centered on developing and manufacturing photonic processors and other fiber optic-based products designed to increase the speed and capacity of fiber-optic networks. Its offerings included discrete components, integrated modules, and subsystems that performed crucial functions like wavelength multiplexing, dispersion compensation, amplification, and switching. Avanex's clients were primarily telecommunications carriers, and it saw significant deployments with major companies like MCI, AT&T, and Verizon.

Throughout its history, Avanex grew through strategic acquisitions, including purchasing Alcatel Optronics France SA and the photonic technology business from Corning Incorporated in 2003. This expanded its product lines and market presence significantly. In April 2009, Avanex merged with Bookham, Inc. to form Oclaro, a move intended to create one of the largest global suppliers of optical components and subsystems. The combined entity, Oclaro, was later acquired by Lumentum in December 2018.