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§ Private Profile · 39677 Eureka Dr, Newark, California 94560, US
Manufacturer of optical transceivers and photonic integrated circuits for high-speed data transmission in data centers, focused on fiber optics.
Kaiam was a Newark, California-based manufacturer of optronics equipment and photonic integrated circuits, specializing in high-speed data transmission for computer networking. The company produced 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s optical transceivers utilizing MEMS alignment, primarily optimized for hyperscale data centers and cloud computing markets. Kaiam raised approximately $80.2 million in funding and reported historical revenue of $54.2 million, employing between 74 and 135 individuals. Key personnel included founder and CEO Bardia Pezeshki and Director of Electronics Jay Kubicky. The organization operated a manufacturing facility in Livingston, Scotland, until December 2018 before collapsing in early 2019 due to cash-flow issues and a patent infringement lawsuit. Kaiam was founded in 2008 by Bardia Pezeshki. Its business model centers on private company selling optical transceivers and related products to data centers.
Kaiam has raised $103.0M across 5 funding rounds.
Kaiam has raised $103.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Kaiam has raised $103.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Kaiam's investors include Marc van den Berg, OGCI Climate Investments (CI), Andreessen Horowitz, PivotNorth Capital, Sound Ventures, Uncork Capital, Uprising, U.S. Venture Partners, Jim Pitkow, Jim Labe.
Kaiam has raised $103.0M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $35.0M Other Equity in September 2014.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 22, 2014 | $35M Venture Round | — | Marc VAN DEN Berg | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2014 | $35M Series U | — | Ogci Climate Investments (ci), Marc VAN DEN Berg | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2013 | $20M Series U | — | Andreessen Horowitz, Ogci Climate Investments (ci), PivotNorth Capital, Sound Ventures, Uncork Capital, Uprising, U.S. Venture Partners, JIM Pitkow | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2011 | $5M Series B | JIM Labe | Andreessen Horowitz, PivotNorth Capital, Sound Ventures, Uncork Capital, Uprising, U.S. Venture Partners, JIM Pitkow | Announced |
| Feb 1, 2011 | $8M Series A | — | Andreessen Horowitz, PivotNorth Capital, Sound Ventures, Uncork Capital, Uprising, U.S. Venture Partners, JIM Pitkow | Announced |
Kaiam Corporation was a technology company that developed and manufactured optronics equipment, specifically 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s optical transceivers using silicon micromachining for high-precision alignment in single-mode fiber optics.[1] It targeted data centers and computer networking applications, solving the problem of inefficient manual or robotic alignment processes by enabling faster, more scalable production of photonic integrated circuits (PICs).[1][2] The company raised approximately $66.9M to $80.2M in funding, achieved peak revenues around $54.2M, and employed up to 102 people, but collapsed in early 2019 due to cash-flow issues and a patent infringement lawsuit.[1][2][3]
Headquartered in Newark, California, with manufacturing in Scotland until 2018, Kaiam innovated in silicon photonics, including CWDM4 transceivers and co-packaged optics with electronics for high-bandwidth links up to 1.6 Tb/s.[1] Despite early traction like partnerships with Broadex Technologies, it ceased operations, marking the end of its growth momentum.[1]
Kaiam was founded in 2009 (with some sources noting 2008) by Bardia Pezeshki, an Iranian native with a PhD from Stanford University and prior experience founding Santur Corporation in the optical networking space.[1][2] Pezeshki and a team of optical industry technologists started the company to commercialize photonic integrated circuits, initially focusing on transmitter optical subassemblies (TOSAs) and receiver optical subassemblies (ROSAs).[1][4]
Key milestones included acquiring a wafer fab in Newton Aycliffe, England, in 2017 (quickly resold to II-VI Inc.) to reinvest in its Scottish facility, and a 2018 MOU with Broadex Technologies for Chinese market transceivers.[1] Demonstrations like the 2016 CWDM4 transceiver and 1.6 Tb/s engine with Corning highlighted early promise, but financial woes led to collapse in 2019.[1]
(Note: Some sources erroneously describe nutraceuticals or later founding dates, conflicting with primary historical accounts.[3][5])
Kaiam rode the early 2010s surge in data center optical networking, driven by exploding demand for 40/100 Gb/s bandwidth amid cloud computing growth from hyperscalers like Google and AWS.[1] Its timing aligned with silicon photonics maturation, reducing costs for high-speed transceivers amid fiber optic proliferation for AI/ML workloads and 5G backhaul.[1][2]
Market forces favoring Kaiam included the shift to co-packaged optics for lower latency/power, influencing ecosystem standards like CWDM4.[1] Though it collapsed before widespread adoption, its innovations in MEMS alignment and PICs contributed to advancements now commercialized by successors like Cisco/Acacia, accelerating the path to terabit-scale data center interconnects.[1][2]
Kaiam represented a bold but ultimately unfulfilled bet on silicon photonics scalability, collapsing in 2019 amid funding shortages despite technical leadership.[1] With the company defunct, its legacy endures through patents, alumni like Pezeshki, and tech absorbed by competitors in a market now exploding toward 400/800 Gb/s and beyond.[1][5]
Looking ahead, trends like AI-driven data deluges and co-packaged optics (which Kaiam pioneered) will shape successors, potentially valuing its IP in ongoing consolidations. Kaiam's story underscores the high-stakes optics race: innovative manufacturing wins battles, but sustained capital wins wars—echoing its rise as a data center enabler cut short by execution risks.[1]