Nov. 17, 2025 –
Photonics startups raise billions as AI workloads outpace traditional chip networking
The AI boom has hit a networking bottleneck that's forcing a fundamental shift in how chips talk to each other. Traditional electrical connections can't keep up with AI's explosive data demands, pushing billions in venture capital toward photonics startups that use light instead of electricity to connect processors. The race is on to replace decades-old networking technology before AI scaling hits a wall.
The new Silicon Valley runs on a different kind of networking - and it's not the LinkedIn variety. As Nvidia and competitors funnel billions into AI data centers, a quiet revolution is happening in the wires and connections that make modern computing possible.