AFL and Alcyon Photonics Collaborate to Advance Next-Generation Fiber to PIC Coupling for AI Infrastructure

SPARTANBURG, S.C. & MADRID--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AFL, an industry-leading manufacturer of fiber optic cables, connectivity, equipment and related services, and Alcyon Photonics, a leader in photonic integrated IP (intellectual property) and design, today announced a strategic collaboration to develop advanced, high-efficiency optical coupling solutions for next-generation fiber-to-PIC coupling supporting multi-core connectivity in AI and hyperscale data center applications.

The collaboration combines Alcyon Photonics' expertise in photonic design, optical coupling optimization, and manufacturable PIC solutions with AFL's global leadership in precision fiber connectivity, advanced manufacturing, and high-volume optical interconnect solutions. Together, the companies aim to deliver scalable fiber to PIC coupling technologies that simplify the integration of photonic devices while improving manufacturing efficiency and supporting the growing bandwidth demands of AI infrastructure.

As AI clusters continue to scale from hundreds to tens of thousands of accelerators, optical interconnects have become a critical enabler of performance, power efficiency, and deployment scalability. Multi-core optical interfaces are increasingly essential for supporting the high-density optical connectivity required by 800G, 1.6T, and future networking platforms. The joint development effort focuses on enabling highly efficient optical coupling between photonic integrated circuits and multicore assemblies, helping customers reduce packaging complexity while accelerating product deployment.

Through this collaboration, customers will benefit from:

• Highly efficient coupling solutions for multi-core
• Optimized optical packaging for high-density silicon photonics
• Improved manufacturability and scalability for volume production
• Reduced integration complexity and faster time-to-market
• A trusted end-to-end ecosystem spanning photonic design through advanced fiber connectivity

"Efficient optical packaging has become one of the key challenges for next generation photonic systems," said Enrique Frutos, CTO of Alcyon Photonics. "By combining Alcyon's expertise in photonic design and optical coupling with AFL's leadership in precision fiber connectivity and manufacturing, we are creating solutions that help customers accelerate the deployment of AI and high-performance computing infrastructure.”

Antonio Castano, Market Development Director added, "As AI infrastructure continues to evolve, customers require optical connectivity solutions that deliver exceptional performance while remaining scalable for high-volume manufacturing. Our collaboration with Alcyon Photonics strengthens our ability to provide advanced multi-core connectivity solutions that support the next generation of AI data centers."

The collaboration reflects both companies' shared commitment to advancing the photonics ecosystem by delivering innovative, manufacturable solutions that bridge photonic integrated circuits with next-generation optical connectivity platforms. By combining complementary expertise in photonic design and fiber interconnect technology, Alcyon Photonics and AFL will help customers build the optical infrastructure required for tomorrow's AI networks.

About AFL

Founded in 1984, AFL is a global manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the broadband, energy, data center, AI and industrial markets. With products in over 130 countries, AFL specializes in fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission/compression and substation accessories, connectivity solutions, fusion splicers, and test and inspection equipment. Guided by customer-focused and community-centered values and a strong commitment to safety, the company operates manufacturing facilities worldwide and provides a comprehensive portfolio of services and solutions supporting network infrastructure, data centers, service providers, wireless and power grid modernization.

About Alcyon Photonics

Alcyon Photonics develops foundry-validated photonic intellectual property IP, including PIC designs, and integrated photonics designs that enable customers to accelerate product development from concept to volume manufacturing. The company works closely with leading semiconductor foundries and ecosystem partners to deliver scalable photonic technologies for data communications, AI, sensing, and emerging applications.