- Zhejiang startup secures backing from an undisclosed Hong Kong-listed optics company to expand production and sales
- Firm develops 800G and 1.6T optical modules and is scaling capacity amid rising AI infrastructure spending
AISunny (艾舜光电科技), a Zhejiang-based maker of high-speed optical modules, has secured a 250 million yuan ($37 million) strategic investment from an undisclosed Hong Kong-listed Chinese optics company, with an initial 50 million yuan already injected.
This cash infusion comes as demand for AI data center networking hardware has been growing at an accelerated pace this year.
The funding will be used to expand production capacity and strengthen market development. While the investor was not identified, Chinese media reports described it as a leading Hong Kong-listed optics manufacturer.
Industry observers have speculated the backer could well be optical component giant Sunny Optical Technology, though neither company has confirmed the relationship.
Founded in March 2024 in Haining, Zhejiang Province, AISunny focuses on 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers as well as PCIe and CXL optical interconnect technologies.
The company said it has completed the development and mass production of dozens of 400G, 800G and 1.6T products, with stable production of 800G modules and internally developed 1.6T offerings.
AISunny generated more than 30 million yuan in revenue in 2025 and is targeting 60 million yuan this year.
PICe interconnect technology
The startup is also among the earliest domestic teams pursuing PCIe optical interconnect technology, with products designed to support Chinese-made GPUs and AI accelerators.
The segment has attracted growing attention as data center operators seek faster and more energy-efficient connections between computing resources.
AISunny is currently in the middle of a production ramp-up, with monthly output of roughly 5,000 optical modules. A new cleanroom project is expected to be completed by the end of June, followed by equipment installation and commissioning.
The startup plans to finish upgrading a new production line by September, increasing monthly capacity to 40,000 units.
The investment comes as established optics manufacturers look for ways to deepen their exposure to AI infrastructure.
AI training and interference workloads
While traditional optical component makers possess expertise in lenses, prisms and imaging systems, high-speed optical modules require capabilities spanning optoelectronic integration and advanced signal processing.
According to market research firm LightCounting, the market for pluggable optical modules operating at 100G and above is projected to grow from nearly $20 billion in 2025 to more than $50 billion by 2030, driven by expanding AI training and inference workloads and continued upgrades of data center networks.
