PicoJool introduces 200G VCSELs and µVCSELs
PicoJool, a Californian optical connectivity start-up, is introducing 200G VCSEL products with a bandwidth exceeding 37GHz. The company will begin sampling chip-level products in the next quarter, including quad 100G, quad 200G and 32x50G NRZ µVCSELs for slow and wide applications.
The company says it is already working with system start-ups and hyperscalers to define the next generation of pluggable, near-packaged optics (NPO) and co-packaged optics (CPO) solutions for AI data centres.
VCSELs have been the backbone of data centre optical connectivity since 1996, valued for their speed, reliability and cost efficiency. Up until now, the question has been whether the technology could scale to meet the bandwidth demands of modern AI infrastructure.
PicoJool says its technology can not only meet those demands but that its 200G VCSEL products pave the way for optical links as inexpensive, compact and manufacturable as traditional copper connections, with a clear roadmap to 800G, 1.6T and 3.2T.
The company's VCSELs combine parallel optics and packaging innovations. The company integrates its optical chips into massively parallel pluggable modules targeting large-scale AI systems. Underpinning the effort is a manufacturing partnership with WIN Semiconductor, a leading VCSEL producer for 3D sensing applications, which has shipped more than a billion chips over the past decade.
“We are excited to enable many optical transceiver and hyperscale companies to meet the growing demand for scale up optical connectivity solutions with an exciting product line and roadmap,” said Al Yuen, founder and CEO of PicoJool. “Our partnership with WIN Semiconductor has been very fruitful as we get ready to release a series of VCSEL products for high volume manufacturing.”
PicoJool's 200G designs and process recipes have already been transferred to WIN and other specialist GaAs foundries.
“What makes Picojool significant is both the technology breakthrough and the manufacturing reality behind it,” said Pat Gelsinger, general partner of the VC Playground Global. “By building on a GaAs supply chain that has already shipped billions of chips, Picojool has solved both sides of the equation: record bandwidth and the production scale to deliver it. That combination is what turns a lab achievement into an industry shift, creating a viable path from copper to optical at AI scale.”
PicoJool will begin sampling its 200G VCSEL products in the next quarter with high volume ramp expected in early 2027.
