Celestial AI, a start-up based in Santa Clara, California, developing its Photonic Fabric optical interconnect, announced the appointment of Lip-Bu Tan to its Board of Directors. A prominent figure in the semiconductor industry, Tan brings over 40 years of experience in technology innovation, venture capital, and scaling transformative deep-tech companies. His leadership is expected to support Celestial AI at a pivotal moment as the industry moves toward mass adoption of optical interconnects for accelerated computing.
Lip-Bu Tan is the founder and chairman of Walden International, a global venture capital firm, and a founding managing partner of Celesta Capital and Walden Catalyst Ventures. His track record includes leadership roles on the boards of major companies such as Schneider Electric SE and Credo Technology Group, and previous board memberships with Intel Corporation and Hewlett Packard Enterprises. As the former CEO and Executive Chairman of Cadence Design Systems, Tan guided the company’s growth from 2009 to 2023. His expertise in semiconductor design, electronic design automation, and AI-driven solutions positions him as a critical addition to Celestial AI’s leadership team.
Celestial AI’s Photonic Fabric platform is designed for AI computing systems, hyperscale AI clusters, and next-generation data center infrastructure. Dave Lazovsky, CEO of Celestial AI, emphasized Tan’s strategic importance, stating, “Lip-Bu’s exceptional track record and deep knowledge of the semiconductor and AI ecosystems will be instrumental as we drive the growth of our Photonic Fabric™ platform.” Tan also praised the platform’s transformative potential, comparing its impact on AI computing and interconnectivity to the effect OpenAI’s GPT has had on AI models.
• Celestial AI appoints Lip-Bu Tan to its Board of Directors.
• Tan brings over 40 years of expertise in semiconductors, venture capital, and scaling technology companies.
• Celestial AI’s Photonic Fabric™ is an optical interconnect technology platform for AI computing and hyperscale AI clusters.
• The platform aims to revolutionize data center infrastructure with improved energy efficiency and AI system performance.
• Tan’s leadership comes as optical interconnect adoption accelerates in the AI and data center industries.
“The transformative potential of Celestial AI’s Photonic Fabric for AI computing, networking, and memory solutions stands to be as significant as the impact OpenAI’s GPT has had on AI models,” said Lip-Bu Tan.
- In October 2024, Celestial AI acquired the silicon photonics patent portfolio from Rockley Photonics, adding over 200 patents to its growing collection of intellectual property (IP). The newly acquired portfolio includes key technologies such as optoelectronic systems-in-package, electro-absorption modulators (EAMs), and optical switch technology. These innovations are critical to AI data center infrastructure and align closely with Celestial AI’s Photonic Fabric™ technology platform, which focuses on advanced optical compute interconnect solutions. Rockley Photonics, an early innovator in silicon photonics, has held foundational patents since 2014. The acquisition strengthens Celestial AI’s position in the optical interconnectivity space and accelerates its roadmap for delivering high-performance, energy-efficient solutions to hyperscale data centers. This IP acquisition is part of Celestial AI’s broader strategy to expand its portfolio and support the commercialization of its cutting-edge Photonic Fabric™.