News
Lightmatter collaborates with Synopsys to accelerate photonic computing design
Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 05:07 AM
Lightmatter is collaborating with Synopsys to leverage their EDA tools and IP to accelerate the design and verification of photonic computing chips and interconnects. This partnership focuses on enhancing the scalability of AI infrastructure through optical computing technologies.
Context
In January 2026, Synopsys and Lightmatter launched a strategic collaboration to integrate 3nm interface technology into the Passage™ 3D Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) platform. By combining Synopsys’s 224G SerDes and UCIe IP with Lightmatter’s photonic engine, the partnership aims to eliminate the data movement and power bottlenecks currently limiting hyperscale AI clusters. This transition from traditional copper interconnects to optical highways is essential for scaling next-generation AI infrastructure.
The joint solution supports Lightmatter’s upcoming L200 series, which targets a massive 200 terabits per second of bandwidth. This move secures Synopsys’s role as a critical "picks-and-shovels" provider in the emerging silicon photonics market. With Lightmatter currently valued at $4.4 billion after raising $850 million to date, this collaboration provides a validated, manufacturing-ready roadmap for hyperscalers to deploy high-efficiency optical interconnects starting in 2026.
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