CyOptics

About CyOptics

CyOptics, founded in 1999 by Yair Alpern, Micha Zimmerman, and Uzi Koren, became a key provider of Indium Phosphide (InP) based optical chips and components. Leveraging a heritage from Bell Labs and Lucent, the company developed a broad portfolio of high-speed lasers, detectors, and integrated photonic circuits. Its products served the enterprise, data center, metro, and long-haul communications markets, enabling applications like Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) and high-speed data networking.

The company's business model focused on designing and manufacturing these specialized optical components, which were then integrated into transceivers, transponders, and line cards by leading module and system OEMs. CyOptics grew through strategic acquisitions, including Apogee Photonics in 2007 to expand its high-speed laser capabilities, and Inplane Photonics, also in 2007, to add Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) technology to its portfolio. This series of acquisitions strengthened its position in the market for 10Gb/s, 40Gb/s, and 100Gb/s optical components.

After a period of significant revenue growth, reaching approximately $210 million in 2012, CyOptics was acquired by Avago Technologies (now Broadcom) in June 2013 for about $400 million in cash. The acquisition was intended to bolster Avago's fiber optics portfolio, particularly for emerging 40G and 100G data center applications, by combining Avago's packaging expertise with CyOptics' InP chip technology. Prior to its acquisition, CyOptics had raised a total of $111 million in funding over several rounds from investors including JVP, TA Associates, and Cisco Investments.