Opnext

About Opnext

Opnext, Inc. was a significant player in the optical components industry, originating from a strategic decision by Hitachi, Ltd. in September 2000. Hitachi spun off its Fiber Optic Components Business Unit to form Opnext, a U.S.-headquartered entity designed to be a global leader in the fiber optic components market for data and telecommunications. This new venture was substantially backed by a private equity investment of up to $450 million from a partnership between Clarity Partners and Marubeni Group.

The leadership team at its inception included Masaaki Hayashi, then President and CEO of Hitachi's Telecommunication & Information Infrastructure Systems Group, as Chairman, and Dr. David Lee as Co-Chairman. Dr. Lee was a co-founder of Clarity Partners and previously the President and Chief Operating Officer of Global Crossing, Ltd., bringing deep expertise in the telecommunications and private equity sectors. Harry Bosco, who had a 35-year career at AT&T and Lucent Technologies, where he was president of the optical networking group, was appointed as the founding CEO and President of Opnext. This leadership blend of corporate veterans and investment strategists was assembled to build upon Hitachi's three decades of technological advancements in fiber optics.

The company's business centered on the design and manufacture of high-performance optical components, modules, and subsystems. Its product portfolio was extensive, featuring optical transceiver modules that convert electrical signals to optical signals for transmission across fiber optic networks. These products were critical for both telecommunications and data communications, with a particular focus on the growing market for 10Gbps and faster network speeds. Specific offerings included laser diodes, photodetectors, and subsystems capable of 40Gbps and 100Gbps long-distance communications. Opnext served a global clientele of systems providers and OEMs, selling its products through a direct sales force, manufacturer representatives, and distributors.

After more than a decade of operation and innovation, Opnext entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Oclaro, Inc. in March 2012. The all-stock transaction was completed in July 2012, with the combined entity continuing under the Oclaro name. This merger created the second-largest provider of optical components and subsystems at the time, uniting the complementary product portfolios and technological expertise of both companies to better serve the converging telecom and datacom markets. The merged company was subsequently acquired by Lumentum in December 2018.