Full-Time
Director – NPI Operations
Lightmatter
201-500 employees
Photonic computing hardware for AI acceleration
No salary listed
Mountain View, CA, USA
Hybrid
Hybrid schedule; some on-site work in Mountain View, CA.
 Process Engineering |
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- BS in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or a relevant field.
- 10+ years of experience in Hardware Operations or New Product Introduction, specifically within the semiconductor, networking, or High-Performance Computing industries.
- Deep understanding of semiconductor fabrication, advanced packaging (2.5D/3D), or optical assembly.
- Proven track record of managing cross-functional teams and external manufacturing partners in a high-growth, fast-paced environment.
- Lead the cross-functional NPI Core Team to ensure Design for Manufacturing and Design for Test requirements, specifically related to optical assembly and hybrid integration, are integrated early in the product design phase.
- Drive the Stage-Gate process from Proto to Engineering Validation, Design Validation, and Production Validation, with a focus on critical 3D package-on-package and laser manufacturing steps.
- Partner with Strategic Sourcing to identify and qualify specialized Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test partners with expertise in Silicon Photonics packaging (e.g., fiber attach, lidding), wafer-level processing, and active/passive optical alignment.
- Manage high-tech component vendors (e.g., Distributed Feedback lasers, specialized optical substrates) and high-level relationships with Tier 1 manufacturers to ensure capacity and capability align with the product roadmap.
- Own the Ramp to Volume strategy, identifying manufacturing bottlenecks in the pilot line, specifically related to laser burn-in and optical coupling, and implementing solutions to ensure a smooth transition to High-Volume Manufacturing.
- Monitor and report on First Pass Yield focusing on end-of-line electro-optical performance metrics, and drive continuous improvement initiatives for wafer-level yield and module assembly yield.
- Develop and own the Master New Product Introduction Schedule, factoring in long-lead times for specialized foundry runs (e.g., Silicon Photonics wafers) and custom laser components.
- Proactively identify supply chain risks and develop robust contingency plans, including alternate sourcing strategies for key optical components.
- Manage the Bill of Materials cost targets through the development lifecycle, focusing on cost reduction.
- Ensure products meet aggressive margin targets required for global deployment at the point of launch.
- An MBA or MS in Supply Chain/Operations is a significant plus.
- Direct experience managing supply chains for silicon photonics, co-packaged optics, or highly complex advanced packaging (e.g., TSVs, interposers, wafer-on-wafer).
- Experience building supply chains for AI hardware accelerators, HPC clusters, or enterprise datacenter servers.
- Proven ability to thrive in a high-growth, ambiguous environment, toggling seamlessly between tactical execution and high-level executive strategy.
- Familiarity with the III-V materials ecosystem and external laser source procurement.
Lightmatter develops photonic computing hardware to speed up AI workloads using light-based processing. Their photonic systems run AI tasks faster and use about 90% less energy than traditional processors. They target AI and autonomous vehicle workloads and collaborate with universities to advance electro-photonic systems. Revenue comes from hardware sales, software licenses, and partnerships, with a goal of bringing scalable photonic computing to market for faster, energy-efficient AI and AV applications.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Series D
Total Funding
$822M
Headquarters
Boston, Massachusetts
Founded
2017
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Roy Kim from Google leads product scaling after Guide and Passage L20 launches.
- $400M raised at $4.4B valuation funds photonic interconnect expansion for hyperscalers.
- Partnerships with GUC, Synopsys, and Qualcomm accelerate Passage 3D adoption in AI clusters.
What critics are saying
- NVIDIA's NVLink-Ultra locks out third-party interconnects in H200 clusters by 2027.
- Intel bundles Ponte Vecchio interconnects at predatory prices, capturing 80% CPU market share.
- TSMC 3nm yield issues halt Lightmatter production, delaying deployments by 6-12 months.
What makes Lightmatter unique
- Passage L200 and M1000 enable edgeless I/O with photonic chiplets atop AI processors.
- Guide light engine delivers 51.2 Tbps per module using VLSP for AI data centers.
- vClick Optics provides detachable fiber arrays with under 1.5 dB loss for CPO manufacturing.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Flexible Work Hours
Remote Work Options
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Sabbatical Leave
Hybrid Work Options
Stock Options
Company Equity
401(k) Retirement Plan
Wellness Program
Mental Health Support
Gym Membership
Phone/Internet Stipend
Home Office Stipend
Commuter Benefits
Training & Development
Conference Attendance Budget
Professional Development Budget
Family Planning Benefits
Fertility Treatment Support
Adoption Assistance
Childcare Support
Elder Care Support
Relocation Assistance
Employee Referral Bonus
Tuition Reimbursement
Professional Certification Support
Mentorship Program
Meal Benefits
Employee Discounts
Company Social Events
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↑ 6%2 year growth
↑ 6%Lightmatter has achieved a record-breaking 1.6 Tbps throughput per fibre with its Passage Co-Packaged Optics chiplet, marking a significant milestone in AI interconnect performance. The technology, developed in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, uses a 16-wavelength DWDM architecture and delivers up to eight times more bandwidth per fibre than existing solutions. The silicon-proven platform combines Lightmatter's photonic engine with Qualcomm Technologies' 112G PAM4 optical SerDes chiplet, addressing interconnect bottlenecks limiting AI model scaling. The architecture reduces power consumption whilst enabling connectivity for next-generation processors and switches, with Passage L-Series photonic engines on track to deliver 100 Tbps and beyond. The record-breaking Passage L-Series photonic interconnects are now available through evaluation kits for lead customer testing.
Lightmatter has unveiled vClick Optics, the industry's first detachable fibre array unit for co-packaged optics advanced packaging. The technology enables high-volume manufacturing of 3D CPO-enabled chips by allowing manufacturers to verify optical engines before final integration, reducing yield loss risks. vClick Optics achieves insertion loss below 1.5 dB and supports high-bandwidth Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing for 32-100Tbps optical interconnects. The technology integrates SENKO's connector solutions with Lightmatter's photonic technology and is compatible with advanced packaging flows from major foundries. Developed in partnership with ASE and SENKO Advanced Components, vClick transforms permanent fibre attachment into a plug-and-play solution. Lightmatter will showcase the technology at the Optical Fiber Communication conference in Los Angeles from 15-19 March 2026.
Lightmatter has unveiled its Passage L20 optical engine, designed to halve fibre usage in datacentres through near-package optics (NPO) rather than co-packaged optics. The chip, aimed at a 2027 launch, connects via copper to switch ASICs and breaks signals into up to 32 bidirectional fibres operating at 200 Gbps each. The L20 offers 6.4 Tbps throughput whilst consuming 30 watts. Just 16 units could replace 512 traditional 200 Gbps pluggable modules in a 102.4 Tbps switch, significantly reducing power consumption. CEO Nick Harris views NPO as a temporary solution before co-packaged optics arrive around 2028. Lightmatter also introduced vClick, a surface-attach fibre array compatible with advanced packaging technologies. The company expects to begin sampling L20 chips in late 2026.
Synopsys has partnered with Lightmatter to integrate its 224G SerDes and UCIe IP into Lightmatter's Passage 3D Co-Packaged Optics platform, targeting low-latency, high-bandwidth AI infrastructure. The collaboration reinforces Synopsys' positioning in co-packaged optics and high-speed connectivity for AI chips. However, analysts suggest the deal alone is unlikely to materially shift near-term prospects compared to larger catalysts like first-quarter 2026 results due 25 February and progress integrating Ansys following recent debt issuance. Fair value estimates from the Simply Wall St Community range widely from $376,000 to $556,000 per share. With Synopsys trading at a premium valuation, investors face execution risks around AI initiatives and Ansys integration. The company's shares have declined but may be up to 36% below fair value.
Lightmatter, a leader in photonic interconnect solutions for AI, has partnered with Global Unichip Corp. (GUC) to commercialise Passage 3D Co-Packaged Optics solutions for hyperscale AI infrastructure. The collaboration combines Lightmatter's photonic interconnect technology with GUC's ASIC design and advanced packaging expertise. The Passage platform uses silicon photonics to deliver enhanced bandwidth density and power efficiency for chip-to-chip communications, addressing connectivity bottlenecks in next-generation AI and high-performance computing workloads. By extending AI cluster scale-up capabilities across multiple racks, the solution aims to improve training time and throughput for frontier AI models. GUC will integrate Passage into its ASIC designs using advanced node chiplet and packaging workflows. The partnership targets hyperscale data centre operators seeking to overcome bandwidth and power constraints.