NcodiN, a deeptech company based in Paris, has secured €16 million in seed funding to enhance its innovative chip communication solutions. With the funding, NcodiN aims to bridge the gap in the technology required for boosting AI memory bandwidth, addressing a critical challenge in the industry’s current landscape. This financial injection will support NcodiN as it moves away from research-centered work and into production, marking a significant point in the company’s evolution.
NcodiN has established an interesting journey in the deeptech sphere since its inception in 2023. Prior reports detailed the company’s progress but focused more on announcing company developments rather than exploring the technological implications. Now, as the firm secures further funding, it is shifting to tackle practical industry challenges, marking a strategy change that sets it apart in the competitive tech landscape.
How will NcodiN use the new funding?
The new capital will be utilized for moving NcodiN’s focus from research activities to industrial production. This means bolstering product development, expanding the team with new engineering roles, and enhancing their CMOS pilot line with 300 mm wafers. Additionally, a portion will be channeled towards establishing a presence in Silicon Valley to facilitate these efforts. The primary goal is to further their photonic interposer technology, which deviates from traditional copper interconnects to support higher memory bandwidth.
What advancements is NcodiN promising?
NcodiN’s NConnect, a photonic interposer platform, is being marketed as a solution to the “copper wall,” which refers to the limitations imposed by traditional electrical systems within AI hardware. By leveraging nanolasers, NcodiN’s technology aims at providing a more robust data transmission method via light instead of electricity. This venture not only promises expanded capabilities for AI processors but also prepares them for future industrial applications by facilitating compatibility with existing chip packaging methods.
The firm has completed significant groundwork over the last year, including demonstrating nanolasers, detectors, and optical links integrated on silicon. These developments are supported by a cleanroom facility, enabling collaborations with partners dedicated to exploring novel interconnect solutions. With this foundational work, NcodiN is setting the stage for extensive testing and validation in an industrial context.
NcodiN has also strengthened its advisory team with experienced figures from the photonics and semiconductor sectors, including Eli Yablonovitch and Gus Yeung. This expanded network will offer strategic guidance as NcodiN scales its groundbreaking technology towards commercial deployment.
Commenting on the potential of this technology, Eli Yablonovitch stated,
“NcodiN is addressing the next big opportunity in Silicon Photonics, particularly for AI and Machine Learning. This has the likelihood of revolutionising all future large-scale cyber systems.”
This sentiment is echoed by Josh Miner from Maverick Silicon, who remarked,
“We are excited to support NcodiN as they enable architectures that will define the future of AI hardware.”
These perspectives underscore the optimism among stakeholders regarding NcodiN’s progress.
Looking ahead, NcodiN is poised to make significant impacts within the AI hardware market, addressing long-standing performance issues with their approach. As the demand for efficient AI solutions continues to surge, NcodiN’s photonic advancements could offer the necessary infrastructure for next-generation systems. The convergence of increased funding, strategic partnerships, and technological innovation positions NcodiN as a key player in rewriting the rules of chip communication.
