GiantLeap Capital Announces Investment in Ayar Labs
Backing the leader in co-packaged optics powering the next generation of AI infrastructure
NEW YORK, March 24, 2026 — GiantLeap Capital, a technology-focused private investment firm dedicated to partnering with companies developing transformative technologies, today announced a new investment in Ayar Labs as part of the company’s $500 million Series E funding round led by Neuberger Berman. The round, which values Ayar Labs at $3.75 billion, brings the company’s total funding to $870 million. Proceeds will be used to scale high-volume production and test capacity, expand global go-to-market operations, and accelerate the commercial deployment of Ayar Labs’ co-packaged optics [CPO] solution.
Ayar Labs develops CPO hardware that transmits data in the form of light, providing higher bandwidth than copper-based interconnects while using significantly less power. At the heart of its solution is the TeraPHY optical engine, designed to integrate seamlessly into existing accelerator and switch vendor manufacturing flows. Ayar Labs is currently the only CPO platform currently designed into TSMC’s1 manufacturing ecosystem. The Series E brings Ayar Labs’ total funding to $870 million and raises the company's valuation to $3.75 billion.
Ayar Labs develops co-packaged optics (CPO) hardware that transmits data using light rather than electrical signals over copper, delivering dramatically higher bandwidth at a fraction of the power consumed by conventional interconnects. Their TeraPHY optical I/O chiplet is the world’s first fully integrated optical input/output solution, and it is engineered to slot directly into existing accelerator and switch vendor manufacturing flows with minimal redesign. As AI model complexity and cluster sizes continue to expand, the bandwidth and energy demands placed on data center interconnects have become a critical bottleneck, positioning Ayar Labs’ technology as essential infrastructure for the next wave of AI compute.
The investment reflects GiantLeap Capital’s high-conviction focus on companies that are mission-critical to the industries they serve. Ayar Labs counts NVIDIA, AMD, Intel Capital, and MediaTek among its strategic backers, underscoring the broad ecosystem alignment behind its approach. Ayar Labs is currently the only CPO platform currently designed into TSMC’s1 manufacturing ecosystem. The company is currently engaged with leading hyperscalers and semiconductor manufacturers as it transitions from development into high-volume commercial production.
“The rapid buildout of AI infrastructure is creating one of the largest investment opportunities of our generation, and data movement has emerged as a critical bottleneck. Ayar Labs is addressing this challenge with a production-ready optical interconnect solution and strong ecosystem alignment. We believe the company’s execution and growing industry support position it to play a central role in the next phase of AI infrastructure,” said Samir Parikh, Founder and Managing Partner of GiantLeap Capital. “We are proud to partner with CEO and Founder Mark Wade and his team at this pivotal moment.”
About Ayar Labs
Ayar Labs is the leader in co-packaged optics solutions for AI scale-up. Its CPO technology replaces bandwidth-limited copper interconnects with optical connectivity, delivering the performance and efficiency gains required for next-generation AI infrastructure. Backed by leading institutional and strategic investors including Neuberger Berman, NVIDIA, AMD, and MediaTek, Ayar Labs is headquartered in San Jose, California. For more information, visit www.ayarlabs.com
About GiantLeap Capital
GiantLeap Capital is a growth equity firm investing in mission critical and tactical opportunities across public and private markets. The firm takes a high-conviction, long-term approach to investing across sectors where technology and innovation have the potential to reshape industries and outcomes at scale. For more information, visit https://www.giantleapcapital.com