Salience Labs Secures Series A Funding Led by Applied Ventures and ICM HPQC Fund
Salience Labs Limited, a pioneering leader in photonic solutions aimed at enhancing connectivity for AI data center infrastructure, has officially announced the successful completion of a $30 million Series A financing round. This funding round was led by ICM HPQC Fund and Applied Ventures, LLC, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, Inc. The investment will play a crucial role in advancing Salience Labs’ development of optical switches designed to revolutionize large-scale AI connectivity.
The investment consortium included participation from the Strategic Investment Fund, Braavos, and continued support from existing investors such as Oxford Sciences Enterprises, Cambridge Innovation Capital, and key players from the global semiconductor industry, including Silicon Catalyst and Jalal Bagherli.
A Strategic Leap Forward for AI Connectivity
With the increasing demand for high-performance computing, AI data centers require cutting-edge interconnect technologies to optimize efficiency, reduce latency, and lower power consumption. Salience Labs’ innovative photonic switch technology is designed to meet these needs, providing high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity while being compatible with existing infrastructure.
Vaysh Kewada, Co-founder and CEO of Salience Labs, emphasized the significance of this funding in driving the company’s mission forward.
“What our customers want is a photonic switch to connect their AI clusters that is compatible with existing infrastructure while delivering high bandwidth, low latency, and significant power savings. The completion of this round will further our development and help us bring our product to customers to enable not just the savings, but large cluster connectivity,” said Kewada. “We are also excited to be working closely with our strategic investors who are industry leaders to advance our go-to-market schedule.”
Industry Leaders Endorse Salience Labs’ Vision
The Series A funding round was met with strong endorsements from prominent figures in the semiconductor and AI industries.
Anand Kamannavar, Vice President and Global Head of Applied Ventures, highlighted the transformative potential of silicon photonics for AI data centers:
“Silicon photonics is a promising technology to deliver significant advancements in energy-efficient performance for AI data centers. Salience’s optical switch solution has the potential to enable a new generation of interconnect network architectures for faster and more efficient AI systems.”
Dr. Jalal Bagherli, investor of Salience Labs and former CEO of Dialog Semiconductor (acquired by Renesas), also expressed confidence in the company’s trajectory:
“Salience Labs has done a tremendous job in developing a portfolio of innovative silicon photonics products that address critical needs in the data center and AI infrastructure market. Their customer-focused approach, in addition to the technology that is based on over a decade of research, makes Salience Labs a clear leader poised to win in this enormous market.”
Dr. William Jeffrey, Chairman of the technical advisory committee on the ICM HPQC Fund and newly appointed Board Member of Salience Labs, reiterated the disruptive impact of the company’s technology:
“Salience Lab’s optical switches will enable unprecedented bandwidth and scalability for the next generation of AI and high-performance data centers. By leveraging light, they will unlock the full capability of modern servers while decreasing power consumption and cost. ICM HPQC is excited to work with Vaysh and the Salience team as lead of the Series A raise.”
Strengthening Leadership: Appointment of Dr. William Jeffrey to the Board of Directors
As part of this funding milestone, Salience Labs has appointed Dr. William Jeffrey to its Board of Directors. He joins industry leaders such as Jack Edmondson, Chief Investment Officer of Oxford Sciences Enterprises, and Daniel Armbrust, Co-founder of Silicon Catalyst, CEO of the SEMATECH semiconductor consortium, and appointee to the Industrial Advisory Committee advising the Department of Commerce on the R&D strategy for the CHIPS Act.
Dr. Jeffrey brings an illustrious background in scientific research, government leadership, and semiconductor innovation. With a career that includes key positions at the Executive Office of the President of the United States and leadership roles at HRL Laboratories, Dr. Jeffrey has been instrumental in fostering technological advancements. His tenure as Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) saw groundbreaking research contributions, including work associated with multiple Nobel Prize laureates. He has also served as the CEO of SRI International, further solidifying his expertise in driving cutting-edge technology initiatives.
Dr. Jeffrey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University. His wealth of experience and leadership are expected to provide valuable guidance as Salience Labs navigates its next phase of growth.
Expansion and Financial Leadership: Appointment of Bonnie Tomei as Chief Financial Officer
In addition to strengthening its Board of Directors, Salience Labs has announced the appointment of Bonnie Tomei as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Tomei, a certified public accountant and seasoned industry veteran based in Silicon Valley, brings over 20 years of experience in financial leadership roles.
Ms. Tomei has extensive expertise in initial public offerings (IPOs), mergers and acquisitions, and strategic financial operations. Her proven track record in managing complex financial structures and executing growth strategies makes her a key asset to the Salience Labs executive team.
CEO Vaysh Kewada welcomed her appointment, emphasizing the critical role Tomei will play in expanding the company’s reach:
“With over 20 years of experience, including IPOs, de-SPAC transactions, and a strong business operations background, Ms. Tomei will be a key member of the executive team to realize our strategic and operational objectives, including expanding to the U.S. to serve our key customers.”
The Road Ahead: Scaling Innovation for AI Data Centers
With the successful close of its Series A funding round, Salience Labs is now poised to accelerate the commercialization of its optical switch solutions. The company aims to integrate its cutting-edge silicon photonics technology into the broader AI and high-performance computing ecosystem, addressing the growing need for scalable and energy-efficient data center interconnects.
As AI workloads continue to expand in scale and complexity, the demand for faster, more efficient, and sustainable connectivity solutions has never been greater. Salience Labs’ innovative approach to photonic switching positions it as a frontrunner in the race to redefine AI infrastructure.
With strong backing from industry leaders, a reinforced leadership team, and a clear vision for the future, Salience Labs is set to make a lasting impact on the AI data center landscape.
