PicoJool Raises $27.5M to Fix AI Bandwidth Crisis

PicoJool, backed by former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, has raised $27.5 million in a Series A round led by Socratic Partners, bringing its total funding to $39.5 million. The startup is developing Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser technology to replace copper wire interconnects in AI data centers with faster, more energy-efficient optical alternatives. PicoJool's high-speed VCSEL products promise up to 3.2 terabits per second of bandwidth, addressing the growing strain on AI chip clusters. The company plans to use the funds to expand teams in the US and Taiwan, qualify products with customers, and move its portfolio into mass production with chip foundry WIN Semiconductors.