POET Technologies reorganizes engineering team to boost 800G optical products for AI and data centres

Toronto-based POET Technologies, a company that designs and develops the POET Optical Interposer, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and light sources for the data centre, tele-communication and artificial intelligence markets, is reorganizing its engineering team to streamline design, component engineering and New Product Introduction (NPI) activities globally. According to a company press statement, this is in response to active customer demand for 800G and higher products directed at the AI systems and hyperscale data centre markets.

The company explains that while the major AI network and systems companies are located in North America and China, almost all module makers, including the company’s current customers for optical engines, are located in China, Taiwan and other Asia Pacific countries. To better serve these and other customers, POET Technologies has established a Global Engineering Organization based in Singapore, which will be led by Dr. Mo Jinyu, senior vice-president, with the New Product Introduction (NPI) and component engineering teams reporting to her.

NPI is responsible for taking optical engine and module products from prototype design to initial manufacturing, coordinating with the product design and production teams along the way. All of these functions reportedly benefit from tight integration and geographic proximity. Critical product design and architecture, key customer relationships, global marketing and sales, and intellectual property management all continue to remain centred in Silicon Valley California, while the company’s finance, investor relations and other administrative functions are managed from its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario.

As a result of this reorganization, the functions of engineering design and manufacturing interface, previously managed by POET Technologies’ Allentown, PA organization will be transferred to POET Technologies’ Shenzhen operation, with other functions being transferred to Singapore. Compared to its annualized spend at the beginning of the year, the annual savings realized from the closing of Allentown on or before March 31, 2025, will be between US $1.8 million and $2 million annually, with one-time costs estimated at approximately US$250 thousand.

“Now that the company has a strong balance sheet, we can now confidently plan for our future, by streamlining the organization with a laser focus on securing design wins, delivering products and taking volume production orders from customers,” said Suresh Venkatesan, chairman and CEO of POET.  “We fully expect that the partnerships and customers that we have announced over the past few months will mature into module designs that will qualify with end users and convert to optical engine revenue later this year and into 2025, with ultra-high growth in the years to follow.”