Inneos and Zephyr Photonics Merge

Zephyr Photonics, LLC an optical solutions provider for defense and aerospace markets, and Inneos LLC, a manufacturer of CWDM optical solutions, has announced they have merged operations. The combined entity will be vertically integrated, entirely US-based and operate under the Inneos name.  Inneos will demonstrate a 100G SWDM optical link running 100 meters at OFC 2017.

"Inneos has nearly 20 years of experience developing optical modules using 3rd party lasers." said Brian Peters, Inneos CEO. He continues, "As a developer of highly robust VCSELs, Zephyr Photonics' business was highly complementary to our own. The new Inneos will be vertically integrated with highly automated manufacturing, allowing us expand our product line in the rapidly growing 4K Videocom market as well as enter the highly cost-competitive 40G and 100G Datacom markets."

Inneos started business in 1998 as Blaze Network Products, an early pioneer of Coarse Wave Division Multiplex or CWDM technology.  Originally developing 10G transceivers for Datacom, the company lost a key industry standards effort and refocused on the video-over-fiber video market.  In 2005, Blaze was acquired by Omron, a Japanese industrial conglomerate and was later spun out in a management buy-out, becoming Inneos in 2014.

Since 2003, Inneos has developed and manufactured embedded optical modules with CWDM technology used to transmit high definition video in medical, industrial, and consumer A/V markets.  The rapid adoption of 4K televisions, and 4K video in smart phones and streaming content, has accelerated the need for high speed optical solutions for the Videocom market.  Inneos' Real4K™ solutions overcome the limitations of copper cabling by delivering the full 18G required by HDMI 2.0 up to 1000 meters.  With the advent of 8K video, Inneos' Real8K™ products will deliver a full 48G for uncompromised video quality.

Zephyr Photonics has been quietly developing wide temperature lasers and ultra-robust optical interconnects for defense and aerospace applications for more than 25 years including projects with DARPA and AFRL.  Zephyr Photonics is ITAR compliant as well as AS9100C and ISO 9001:2008 certified.  The company's R&D and manufacturing operations in Zephyr Cove and Minden, Nevada have been integrated with Inneos business operation in Pleasanton, California.