Avicena
Los Angeles, US · Founded 2014 · Delaware LLC · 97 employees on LinkedIn · 13 known investors
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Avicena develops microLED-based optical interconnect technology, including the LightBundle transceiver ICs that pair microLED emitters and photodetectors with multi-core fiber for high-speed chip-to-chip communications. Its products connect GPU clusters across multiple racks to enable scalable, energy-efficient data center and computing interconnects.
Also known as Avicena Tech · AvicenaTech · AvicenaTech Corp.
Founders & leadership
Avicena was founded in 2014 by Rob Kalman, Alex Tselikov, and Bardia Pezeshki.
Board
Investors · 13
Also in the syndicate · 3
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$68.1M disclosed across 5 of 12 rounds · 2014–2025
- $65MSeries BMay 2025 · 3 sources
Tiger Global (lead), Cerberus Capital Management, Hitachi Ventures, Lam Research, Maverick Silicon, Prosperity7 Ventures, SK hynix, Venture Tech Alliance
Source ↗
▶$10MofferedDec 2023 · BiotechnologyRule 506(b)
- Keith DawkinsDirector
- Henry WolfDirector
- Ken CharhutDirector
- Matthew TasoojiDirector
- Mory GharibDirector
- Sean BradyExecutive Officer
- Offering amount
- $10M
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$15MofferedNov 2022 · OtherRule 506(b)
- Keith DawkinsDirector
- Henry WolfDirector
- Matthew TasoojiDirector
- Ken CharhutDirector
- Morteza GharibDirector
- Sean BradyExecutive Officer
- Offering amount
- $15M
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$12MofferedNov 2021 · BiotechnologyRule 506(b)
- Morteza GharibDirector
- Ken CharhutDirector
- Sean BradyExecutive Officer
- Keith DawkinsDirector
- Henry WolfDirector
- Matthew TasoojiDirector
- Offering amount
- $12M
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$14MofferedAug 2019 · OtherRule 506(b)
- Sean BradyExecutive Officer
- Mory GharibDirector
- Ken CharhutDirector
- Matthew TasoojiDirector
- Henry WolfDirector
- Keith DawkinsDirector
- Offering amount
- $14M
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware, 2014
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$4MofferedFeb 2018 · OtherRule 506(b)
- Sean BradyExecutive Officer
- Mory GharibDirector
- Keith DawkinsDirector
- Henry WolfDirector
- Ken CharhutDirector
- Matthew TasoojiDirector
- Offering amount
- $4M
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware, 2014
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$573KraisedJul 2017 · 8 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Keith DawkinsDirector
- Henry WolfDirector
- Ken CharhutDirector
- Sean BradyExecutive Officer
- Mory GharibDirector
- Matthew TasoojiDirector
- Offering amount
- $3M
- Amount sold
- $573K
- First sale
- Jun 2017
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware, 2014
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$1.7MraisedSep 2016 · 14 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Ken CharhutDirector
- Morteza GharibDirector
- Sean BradyExecutive Officer
- Henry WolfDirector
- Matthew TasoojiDirector
- Offering amount
- $3M
- Amount sold
- $1.7M
- First sale
- Sep 2016
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware, 2014
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$300KraisedOct 2014 · 1 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Henry WolfDirector
- Sean BradyExecutive Officer
- Mory GharibDirector
- Matthew TasoojiDirector
- Ken CharhutDirector
- Offering amount
- $300K
- Amount sold
- $300K
- First sale
- Oct 2014
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware, 2014
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Avicena (AvicenaTech, Corp.) is a privately held company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with a subsidiary in Edinburgh, Scotland, that develops ultra-low-energy optical interconnects based on microLEDs. Its LightBundle architecture uses arrays of GaN microLED emitters that can be integrated directly onto high-performance CMOS ICs, coupled through multi-core/multi-fiber cables to matching arrays of integrated silicon photodetectors. The company positions the approach as an alternative to copper electrical links and to laser-based optics for medium-reach, high-density connections.
Target applications include chip-to-chip and die-to-die interconnects in HPC and AI/ML systems, memory disaggregation and future disaggregated memory fabrics, as well as sensors, 5G wireless and aerospace links. Avicena states that its microLED interconnects allow GPU clusters to scale up across multiple racks, connecting thousands of GPUs at sub-picojoule-per-bit energy efficiency. Its commercial vehicle is the LightBundle eKit evaluation platform, which includes an integrated ASIC with PRBS checking, microLED and photodetector arrays of 256 elements, micro-lens arrays, multi-core fiber, a test report, and a GUI providing open eye monitoring, bit error ratio monitoring and crosstalk measurement.
One third-party aggregator describes the company as having roughly 25 employees and under $5 million in annual revenue; the same source contains internally inconsistent employee data (also listing an 1001-5000 band) and a total funding figure ($90M) that conflicts with the company's own statement of $120M raised to date.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 3
by search overlap
Companies competing with Avicena for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Non-dilutive funding · 2 SBIR/STTR awards
Federal grants — no equity taken| Agency | Phase | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Science Foundation | Phase II | 2022 | $989.2K |
| National Science Foundation | Phase I | 2021 | $255.6K |
Source: SBIR.gov award data (U.S. Small Business Administration). SBIR/STTR awards are competitive federal R&D grants and contracts — non-dilutive capital alongside any venture rounds above.
Timeline · 16
launches, deals, and filingsAvicena announced it started shipping 1 Tbps LightBundle eKits, with up to 335 microLED channels at 3 Gbps each, to customers and partners building AI infrastructure.
Avicena launched the LightBundle eKit, an evaluation platform for microLED optical connectivity using ASIC-based transceivers with integrated LED, photodetector and micro-lens arrays connected via fiber; 512 Gbps links demonstrated at OFC 2026.
At SuperComputing 2025 in St. Louis, Avicena announced LightBundle links operating at 4Gbps per lane with transmitter power of 80fJ/bit.
At ECOC 2025 in Copenhagen, Avicena demonstrated a fully operational microLED-based optical link using an optimized camera sensor as the receiver, at 200fJ/bit of transmitter power.
Avicena appointed Marco Chisari, former Executive Vice President and Head of Samsung Foundry (US), as its new CEO.
Avicena announced a $65M Series B led by Tiger Global with participation from Maverick Silicon, Prosperity7 Ventures, Venture Tech Alliance, SK hynix, Cerberus Capital Management, Hitachi Ventures and Lam Research, bringing total capital raised to $120M. Funds earmarked to scale the team and ramp the first product into production.
$65M source ↗
Avicena announced it will work with TSMC to optimize silicon photodetector arrays for its LightBundle microLED-based interconnects targeting AI scale-up networks with >1Tbps/mm I/O density and <1pJ/bit efficiency.
Avicena unveiled a scalable, modular LightBundle interconnect platform with >1Tbps/mm I/O density and <1pJ/bit efficiency, extending die-to-die connections beyond 10 meters.
Former Oclaro CEO Greg Dougherty joined Avicena's board of directors, effective immediately.
At ECOC 2024 in Frankfurt, Avicena showcased a 30-meter LightBundle link, tripling the reach of its previous public demonstration.
Avicena unveiled a modular chiplet interconnect platform with multi-Tbps/mm shoreline density supporting a range of die-to-die interfaces.
Avicena demonstrated what it described as the world's smallest 1Tbps optical transceiver based on LightBundle technology at the SuperComputing Conference in Denver.
Avicena showed a 1Tbps microLED-based transceiver IC implemented in 16nm finFET CMOS as part of its LightBundle chip-to-chip interconnect technology.
Avicena demonstrated a high-temperature optical link operating at 235°C using LightBundle technology.
Avicena acquired Nanosys' GaN microLED fabrication facility and engineering team to develop and produce high-speed GaN microLEDs; the fab was previously owned by glo, which invested over $200 million in the facilities including epitaxy, wafer processing, and lift-off/transfer tools.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structureIn the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Avicenaavicena.tech · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Avicena do?
- Avicena develops microLED-based optical interconnects (LightBundle) for chip-to-chip links in AI datacenters and HPC.
- Who founded Avicena?
- Avicena was founded by Rob Kalman, Alex Tselikov, Bardia Pezeshki in 2014.
- Who are Avicena's investors?
- Avicena's investors include Clear Ventures, Hitachi Ventures, Prosperity7 Ventures, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Cerberus Capital Management, Maverick Silicon, Micron Ventures, Tiger Global Management and 2 more.
- How much funding has Avicena raised?
- Avicena has disclosed $68.1M raised across 5 of its 12 known rounds.
- Where is Avicena headquartered?
- Avicena is headquartered in Los Angeles, US.