LightCross

About LightCross

LightCross, Inc. operated in the optical networking and switching components market, focusing on the development of proprietary silicon integrated circuit technologies. Founded in 1999, the company aimed to revolutionize the industry by producing photonic components within a standard integrated circuit (IC) production environment, positioning itself as a fabless optical integrated circuit (OIC) company. This approach was intended to overcome the asset-heavy models that constrained other firms in the optical components sector.

The company successfully raised a total of $41.3 million over three funding rounds, including a $30 million Series B round in August 2001 led by UMC Capital. Other significant investors included J.P. Morgan, Arch Venture Partners, and Comdisco. A key technological milestone was achieved in October 2001 when LightCross, in partnership with United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), produced working arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) on silicon wafers, a first for the industry.

LightCross developed dynamic optical modules designed to integrate active optics and electronics on a single silicon chip. Its products, such as the fast Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA) Arrays, offered sub-microsecond response times and were targeted at manufacturers of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) equipment. These components were designed to reduce network costs, enhance flexibility, and lower power consumption compared to traditional silica-based components. In October 2003, LightCross announced a merger with Arroyo Optics to broaden their technology platforms and expand their product offerings to clients in the fiber optics infrastructure market. The merged entity, which continued under the name Arroyo Optics, was subsequently acquired by Kotura in June 2004.