nEye Systems
Category: Computer Vision
Developing MEMS-based silicon photonics optical circuit switches (OCS) designed to accelerate AI/ML workloads and high-performance computing by enhancing data center network efficiency, bandwidth, and flexibility. nEye Systems was founded in 2020. The company is led by Ming Wu. Based in Emeryville, California, USA. Team size: N/A. Total funding raised: $72.5 million. Latest round: $58 million Series B (Announced April 2024). Key investors include CapitalG (Alphabet), M12 (Microsoft), Micron Ventures, NVIDIA, Socratic Partners, TEDA Holdings, Innolight Technology.
- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- Emeryville, California, USA
- Team size
- N/A
- Total funding
- $72.5 million
Value proposition
Overcomes power consumption and bandwidth limitations of traditional electrical switches through reconfigurable optical interconnects; offers a flexible, high-radix, low-power, cost-effective and scalable network fabric for large-scale AI deployments.
Products and solutions
SuperSwitch – MEMS-based silicon photonics optical circuit switch (OCS)
Unique value
Focus on reconfigurable optical circuit switching using MEMS-based silicon photonics with a wafer-scale approach, originating from UC Berkeley research.
Target customer
Hyperscale data centers, cloud service providers, enterprises in need of high-performance AI/ML and HPC infrastructure.
Industries served
Cloud Computing, Data Center Infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, High-Performance Computing (HPC)
Technology advantage
Proprietary 'SuperSwitch' chip design that potentially offers lower power consumption, higher bandwidth density, and enhanced network flexibility compared to conventional electrical switches; bolstered by strategic industry backing.
How they differentiate
Emphasizes dynamically reconfigurable optical circuit switching (OCS) for data center networks, contrasted with competitors focusing on fixed optical I/O; utilizes a MEMS-based, wafer-scale silicon photonics approach.
Main competitors
Ayar Labs, Celestial AI, DustPhotonics
Key partnerships
UC Berkeley (Research Origin), CapitalG (Alphabet), M12 (Microsoft), Micron Ventures, NVIDIA
Major milestones
Founded in 2020 Developed prototype optical circuit switches Secured $14.5M in Seed/Series A funding (led by TEDA Holdings) Secured $58M Series B funding in April 2024 Planning production samples release around 2025
Growth metrics
Not publicly available (Pre-revenue/early commercialization stage)
Market positioning
Emerging player in the optical interconnect and switching market, addressing the limitations of traditional electrical networking in AI infrastructures.
Geographic focus
Global, with an initial focus on major data center hubs in the USA.
Patents and IP
While specific patents are not publicly listed, the technology is based on UC Berkeley research and likely includes proprietary IP related to MEMS, silicon photonics, and optical circuit switching.
About Ming Wu
Ming Wu is a distinguished professor and entrepreneur with extensive experience in optical MEMS, nanophotonics, and silicon photonics. He co-founded nEye Systems in 2020 and has been instrumental in its growth and technological advancements. His academic and professional career has been focused on developing cutting-edge technologies that have practical applications in the industry.
Official website: https://www.neyesystems.com