BinOptics closes $6 million funding round
BinOptics, a US manufacturer of monolithically integrated laser chips featuring etched-facet technology, has closed a Series C funding round that has raised $6 million.
The company says that the cash will be used to increase the production capacity of telecom and datacom 10Gbit/s lasers that can operate over a wide temperature range, and accelerate product development of etched-facet blue lasers for optical storage.
"The demand for competitively priced lasers that can operate reliably at high temperatures, speeds, and powers is now growing at a rapid rate," said BinOptics CEO Alex Behfar.
"Our unique manufacturing approach has allowed us to meet these requirements in the key material systems, and we are now ready to move to the next stage in production and product development," he added.
BinOptics products include proprietary 1310 nm and 1550 nm horizontal-cavity surface-emitting lasers (HCSELs). These emitters feature a chip technology that integrates a horizontal laser cavity with a 45° etched reflecting mirror that directs the beam vertically.
Series C funding was led by a new investor, STIC International, which is the US arm of STIC Investments, a South Korean venture capital and financial equity group.
BinOptics previous investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Cayuga Venture Fund, FA Technology Ventures, and Arrow Path Venture Partners, also participated in this funding round.
