NeoPhotonics Corporation
NeoPhotonics Corporation was a United States-based developer and manufacturer of high-speed optical communications components, modules, and photonic integrated technologies.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
NeoPhotonics Corporation was an American optical-communications technology company headquartered in San Jose, California. Founded in 1996 by Sean Bi and Nobuyuki Kambe, the business originally operated as NanoGram Corporation and initially explored technologies based on inorganic nanomaterials. It later redirected its principal commercial focus toward optical components and photonic systems used in telecommunications, data centers, and large-scale content-provider networks, adopting the NeoPhotonics name in 2002. The company developed, manufactured, and sold components for transmitting, receiving, routing, and switching high-speed digital optical signals. Its portfolio included optical transceivers, tunable lasers, high-bandwidth receivers, optical semiconductors, photonic integrated circuits, and modules designed for data rates of 100 gigabits per second and above. The company was particularly associated with coherent optical technology, which uses the amplitude, phase, and polarization of light to carry substantially more information than conventional on-off signaling. Coherent systems also support flexible wavelength management and advanced switching architectures in modern optical networks. NeoPhotonics concentrated on increasingly high-capacity applications, including 100G, 200G, 400G, and 600G optical systems. Its high-speed products were based in part on Advanced Hybrid Photonic Integration, an approach intended to combine different photonic functions in compact, high-performance devices. These products addressed long-haul and metro telecommunications networks as well as data-center and web-scale networks. Demand was linked to the expansion of telecom backbones and content-provider infrastructure, particularly as mobile traffic and cloud services increased. The company expanded through a combination of internal development and acquisitions. In 2003 it acquired Lightwave Microsystems, a producer of silica-on-silica passive integrated optical products. It subsequently built a broader international manufacturing and technology footprint through interests and acquisitions involving companies such as Photon Technology in China, Optun, Lightconnect, BeamExpress, Santur, the optical business associated with LAPIS Semiconductor, and selected tunable-laser and transceiver product lines from EMCORE. Manufacturing and operational activities were reported in Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Shenzhen. NeoPhotonics experienced significant corporate restructuring in the early 2000s. In 2003 it filed for reorganization under bankruptcy protection and later exited the process. Following the reorganization, its NanoGram Devices business was sold to Greatbatch Technologies. The company later returned to the public markets, completing an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on February 2, 2011, under the symbol NPTN. NeoPhotonics ceased to exist as an independent publicly traded company after Lumentum acquired it in August 2022. The transaction ended NeoPhotonics' standalone corporate status and placed its optical-communications technologies and product portfolio within Lumentum's broader photonics business.
History
NeoPhotonics began in 1996 as NanoGram Corporation. It was co-founded by Sean Bi and Nobuyuki Kambe, who had been introduced through an MIT connection. The company received an initial investment from Institutional Venture Partners and originally pursued applications for inorganic nanomaterials rather than operating solely as an optical-networking supplier. The technology downturn and changing commercial prospects led to a major restructuring in 2002. The business adopted the NeoPhotonics name for its optical-devices activities, while related operations were separated into distinct corporate entities. NanoGram Devices retained battery-related technology for medical devices, and another NanoGram entity continued to manage intellectual property and develop optical and polymer films based on nanomaterials. NeoPhotonics received additional investment during this restructuring and concentrated on optical communications. In early 2003, NeoPhotonics acquired Lightwave Microsystems, adding silica-on-silica passive integrated optical products to its capabilities. Later that year, the company filed for bankruptcy reorganization. It subsequently completed the reorganization and exited bankruptcy. As part of the post-reorganization disposition of assets, NanoGram Devices was sold to Greatbatch Technologies. These events narrowed the company's focus and helped establish optical communications as its central business. NeoPhotonics expanded internationally during the following years. In 2005 it acquired an ownership interest in Photon Technology Co., Ltd., a Shenzhen-based Chinese manufacturer of optoelectronic devices and modules, and by 2006 it had acquired most of that company's outstanding shares. The company later broadened its portfolio through acquisitions or asset purchases involving Optun, Lightconnect, BeamExpress, Santur, the optical unit associated with LAPIS Semiconductor, and tunable-laser and transceiver product lines from EMCORE. These transactions supported a product range spanning lasers, receivers, transceivers, passive optical devices, and integrated photonic components. The company's technology strategy increasingly emphasized coherent optical transmission. Unlike basic on-off optical signaling, coherent transmission uses multiple properties of light, including amplitude, phase, and polarization, to increase capacity and improve the flexibility of optical networks. NeoPhotonics developed products for 100G and higher rates, including 200G, 400G, and 600G applications. Its Advanced Hybrid Photonic Integration approach combined photonic functions in compact components intended for high-capacity telecom, metro, data-center, and content-provider networks. NeoPhotonics completed its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on February 2, 2011, trading under the symbol NPTN. During the 2010s, the company reported manufacturing operations in Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Shenzhen and maintained a substantial patent portfolio in the United States and overseas. Its market opportunity was tied to the growth of telecom backbones, cloud infrastructure, mobile-data traffic, and large web-scale networks. In August 2022, Lumentum acquired NeoPhotonics for approximately $918 million. The acquisition integrated NeoPhotonics' optical technologies and products into Lumentum and ended the company's existence as an independent public corporation. Accordingly, NeoPhotonics is now best understood as a former corporate brand and technology business whose principal legacy is its contribution to coherent optical networking and photonic integration.
- 2022
Acquired by Lumentum
[1]Lumentum acquired NeoPhotonics, ending its independent corporate existence.
- 2011
Initial public offering
[1]NeoPhotonics completed its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange and began trading under NPTN.
- 2006
Majority ownership of Photon Technology
[1]The company had acquired most of Photon Technology's outstanding shares.
- 2005
Investment in Photon Technology
[1]NeoPhotonics acquired an ownership interest in the Shenzhen-based optoelectronics manufacturer Photon Technology.
- 2003
Lightwave Microsystems acquired
[1]The acquisition added silica-on-silica passive integrated optical products.
- 2003
Bankruptcy reorganization
[1]NeoPhotonics filed for reorganization and later exited bankruptcy after restructuring its operations.
- 2002
Optical business adopts the NeoPhotonics name
[1]The company was reorganized and its optical-devices business became associated with the NeoPhotonics name.
- 1996
Company founded as NanoGram Corporation
[1]Sean Bi and Nobuyuki Kambe co-founded the company, which initially pursued inorganic nanomaterial technologies.
Products and positioning
A specialist supplier of high-performance coherent optical components and modules for telecom backbone, metro, data-center, and content-provider networks.
Optical communications modules
Coherent optical modules
NeoPhotonics developed coherent modules for high-capacity optical transmission at 100G and above, including 200G, 400G, and 600G applications. These products were intended for long-haul and metro telecom networks as well as data-center and content-provider infrastructure. Coherent modulation uses amplitude, phase, and polarization information to transmit more data efficiently than conventional on-off optical signaling.
Optical transmitters
Tunable lasers
The company's tunable-laser activities supported optical communication equipment that can adjust operating wavelength. Such flexibility is important in dense wavelength-division multiplexing and software-controlled optical networks, where operators need to manage wavelengths and capacity efficiently. NeoPhotonics expanded this part of its portfolio through internal development, acquisitions, and the purchase of selected tunable-laser product lines from EMCORE.
Optical communications components
Optical receivers
NeoPhotonics supplied high-bandwidth receivers used to convert and process optical signals in high-speed communications systems. Its receiver technologies were part of a broader coherent optical portfolio designed to support the capacity and signal-management requirements of modern carrier, metro, data-center, and content-provider networks.
Integrated photonics
Photonic integrated circuits
The company developed photonic integrated circuits and related optical semiconductor technologies for combining multiple optical functions in compact components. Its Advanced Hybrid Photonic Integration platform was used as a foundation for high-speed products and reflected the company's emphasis on integrating lasers, receivers, and other photonic functions for demanding network applications.
Passive optical components · 2003
Passive integrated optical products
Through the acquisition of Lightwave Microsystems, NeoPhotonics added silica-on-silica passive integrated optical products. These components complemented active optical devices and supported the company's broader effort to provide building blocks for optical transmission and switching systems.
Brand decisions
2022
Sale to LumentumM&ABackground
NeoPhotonics operated as a specialist supplier of coherent optical components and high-speed photonic technologies.
Action taken
Lumentum acquired NeoPhotonics in August 2022.
Aftermath
NeoPhotonics ceased to operate as an independent public company and its technologies became part of Lumentum.
Acquisition value. $918 million (August 2022)
2003
Bankruptcy reorganization and asset restructuringOtherBackground
The company faced financial and operational pressure during the early-2000s technology downturn.
Action taken
NeoPhotonics filed for reorganization, later exited bankruptcy, and sold NanoGram Devices to Greatbatch Technologies.
Aftermath
The restructuring narrowed the business and left optical communications as its core focus.
2002
Refocus on optical communicationsStrategyBackground
The original NanoGram business operated across nanomaterial-related activities during the technology downturn and was reorganized into separate entities.
Action taken
The optical-devices operation adopted the NeoPhotonics name and concentrated on optical communications while related NanoGram activities were separated.
Aftermath
The change established optical networking as the company's principal commercial identity.
Recent events
- 2022
Lumentum completes acquisition of NeoPhotonics[1]
M&A
Lumentum acquired NeoPhotonics in August 2022, ending NeoPhotonics' independent corporate and public-company status.
- 2011
NeoPhotonics completes its New York Stock Exchange initial public offering[1]
Other
NeoPhotonics became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker NPTN.
- 2003
NeoPhotonics files for reorganization under bankruptcy protection[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
The company entered a bankruptcy reorganization process during a difficult period for the technology sector and subsequently exited the process after restructuring.
- 2002
NeoPhotonics changes its name from NanoGram Corporation[1]
Other
The company adopted the NeoPhotonics name as it reorganized its activities and focused its business on optical devices and communications technologies.
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