InfiniLink, an Egyptian semiconductor startup focused on advanced optical data connectivity, has raised $10mn in seed funding to accelerate the development of its technology for artificial intelligence-driven data centres.
The investment round saw participation from MediaTek, the Taiwanese fabless chip giant, and Sukna Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Egyptian investors Egypt Ventures and angel investor M Empire Angels also contributed to the funding.
Founded in 2022 by Ahmed F. Aboul-Ella, who serves as chief executive, and Botros George, InfiniLink has developed a Silicon Photonics integrated optical transceiver chiplet (iOTC) technology. The company aims to address the escalating bandwidth and energy efficiency demands of modern data centres, which are increasingly strained by the computational intensity of AI workloads and data-intensive applications.
Traditional electrical and optical interconnects are facing limitations in terms of power consumption and scalability as data transfer requirements surge. InfiniLink’s iOTC technology offers a potential solution by enabling low-power pluggable transceiver modules and high-bandwidth-density co-packaged optical engines (CPO). These innovations promise to deliver the ultra-high-speed and energy-efficient data connectivity crucial for the next generation of AI infrastructure.
“Collaborating with MediaTek will be instrumental in advancing our vision for cutting-edge optical connectivity solutions,” said Mr Aboul-Ella. He added that the strategic partnership would help accelerate the commercialisation of InfiniLink’s technologies, which he believes will “make a significant impact on data centre optical connectivity.”
MediaTek, which already has a history of collaboration with InfiniLink culminating in the establishment of MediaTek Egypt, expressed enthusiasm for further scaling their partnership in the region through this investment. “We are thrilled to be part of InfiniLink’s journey,” said George Chien, Senior General Manager at MediaTek.
Sukna Ventures highlighted the alignment of InfiniLink’s technology with the growing energy demands of AI in data centres. “Their groundbreaking optical connectivity technology, engineered by an exceptionally skilled team, addresses AI’s relentless energy demands in data centres,” said Waleed Alballaa, General Partner at Sukna Ventures. He added that the investment aligns with Sukna Ventures’ mandate to support high-potential startups from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and facilitate their international expansion.
The involvement of both regional and international investors underscores the growing recognition of the potential for innovation in the MENA technology ecosystem. InfiniLink’s focus on addressing a critical bottleneck in AI infrastructure also highlights the increasing demand for specialised hardware solutions to support the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.
InfiniLink stated that the newly secured funding will be used to accelerate product development, expand its global reach, and meet the surging demand for AI-driven connectivity solutions. The company’s technology has the potential to significantly improve the performance and energy efficiency of data centres, which are becoming increasingly vital for a wide range of industries and applications powered by artificial intelligence.