Avicena, a developer of microLED-based chip-to-chip interconnects, announced a major milestone as it has demonstrated a fully operational microLED-based optical link operating at an industry-leading Tx power of 200 femtojoules per bit (fJ/bit) at <1E-12 raw bit error rate.
The company says that this achievement highlights the efficiency of its scalable LightBundle platform for high-performance computing and AI data centers.
Using a high-sensitivity receiver, modified from a high-volume foundry camera sensor process, the demonstration link operates at dramatically reduced microLED drive currents. Avicena says that since LEDs do not require the threshold current typical of lasers, they run fast even at low currents. In this live demonstration, the LED operates at about 0.25mA drive current and 4Gb/s and is paired with a hybrid-bonded camera sensor and discrete TIA.
In May 2025, Avicena announced that it has secured its Series B funding round, raising $65 million. Avicena raised a total of $120 million to date.
Earlier in 2025, Avicena launched its scalable and modular LightBundle interconnect platform, that supports > 1Tbps/mm shoreline density and extends ultra-high density die-to-die (D2D) connections to > 10 meters at class leading sub-pJ/bit energy efficiency.
Avicena, a developer of microLED-based chip-to-chip interconnects, recently discussed its microLED-based solution, as you can see in the video above.
In 2022 the company acquired Nanosys' GaN microLED fab and engineering team. Avicena uses the fab and team to develop and produce high-speed GaN microLEDs optimized for its application.
The GaN microLED fab was previously owned by glō (before it was acquired by Nanosys), which invested over $200 million in the facilities, which include epitaxy, wafer processing, and lift-off and transfer tools to post-process silicon ICs with optical interfaces.
