Marvell Technology Group Ltd. agreed to acquire Inphi Corp. in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately US$10 billion, consisting of $66 in cash and 2.323 shares of stock of the combined company for each Inphi share. Upon closing of the transaction, Marvell shareholders will own approximately 83% of the combined company and Inphi stockholders will own approximately 17% of the combined company.
Inphi’s high-speed electro-optics target data centers as well as wired and wireless carrier networks. The product portfolio includes Inphi transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs); drivers for 100G to 600G coherent optics; optical PHYs for signal recovery, retiming, grooming, error correction and gearbox operations; its COLORZ transceivers based on silicon photonics for 80/120km DWDM connectivity in a QSFP28 form factor; and its Canopus coherent Digital Signal Processors (DSPs)
Marvell said that by combining its storage, networking, processor, and security portfolio with Inphi’s electro-optics interconnect platform, the combined company will deliver end-to-end technology leadership in data infrastructure.
“Our acquisition of Inphi will fuel Marvell’s leadership in the cloud and extend our 5G position over the next decade,” said Matt Murphy, president and CEO of Marvell. “Inphi’s technologies are at the heart of cloud data center networks and they continue to extend their leadership with innovative new products, including 400G data center interconnect optical modules, which leverage their unique silicon photonics and DSP technologies. We believe that Inphi’s growing presence with cloud customers will also lead to additional opportunities for Marvell’s DPU and ASIC products.”
“Marvell and Inphi share a vision to enable the world’s data infrastructure and we have both transformed our respective businesses to benefit from the strong secular growth expected in the cloud data center and 5G wireless markets” said Ford Tamer, President and CEO of Inphi. “Combining with Marvell significantly increases our scale, accelerates our access to the next generations of process technology, and opens up new opportunities in 5G connectivity.”
Marvell also stated that intends to reorganize the combined company so that it will be domiciled in the United States, creating a U.S. semiconductor powerhouse with an enterprise value of approximately $40 billion. Upon closing, Ford Tamer, Inphi’s President and CEO, will join Marvell’s Board of Directors.
https://www.marvell.com/announcements/marvell-to-acquire-inphi.html
- In 2016, Inphi acquired ClariPhy Communications, a provider of ultra-high-speed systems-on-chip (SoCs) for multi-terabit data, long haul and metro networking markets for $275 million in cash as well as the assumption of certain liabilities at the close. ClariPhy was one of the first merchant suppliers of coherent DSP technology. The company was based in Irvine, California.
- In 2014, Inphi acquired Cortina Systems’ High-Speed Interconnect and Optical Transport product lines for $52.5 million in cash and $73.5 million in stock. In 2006, Cortina Systems acquired the assets of Intel’s optical network components business for $115 million. Cortina was based in Sunnyvale, California.
Acacia and Inphi demo interoperability of 400ZR over 120 km
Acacia Communications and Inphi have demonstrated error-free links in 400ZR mode between Inphi’s COLORZ II QSFP-DD and Acacia’s 400ZR QSFP-DD module in Arista switches over a 120 km amplified link using 75GHz channel spacing. “Hyperscale network operators are planning to utilize interoperable 400ZR solutions to support growing bandwidth requirements between data centers,” said Josef Berger, AVP of Marketing, Optical Interconnect at Inphi. “This…
Inphi acquires assets in Vietnam from Arrive Technologies
Inphi has acquired certain assets from Arrive Technologies, located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Arrive Technologies, founded in 2001, has 112 employees with strong design capabilities in embedded software, digital ASIC, post-silicon validation, and FPGA emulation. The team has designed highly complex transport framers and products including pseudowire and circuit emulation functions with domain expertise including, but not limited to, OTN/SONET, FEC, PTP, and Security (IPsec). Arrive had been engaged with many of Inphi’s system OEM customers in the cloud, telecom, and 5G markets.
Inphi said the addition of these resources will provide Inphi with front-end design, verification, validation and firmware skills that complement Inphi’s existing design teams in Singapore and Vietnam.
Inphi samples 800G 7nm PAM4 DSP
Inphi is sampling its new Spica 800G 7nm PAM4 DSP, the world’s first 800Gbps or 8x100Gbps PAM4 DSP to enable 800G optical transceiver modules in QSFP-DD800 or OSFP form factors.
Inphi’s highly integrated Spica 800G platform includes the company’s high-performance, low power PAM4 DSPs alongside its companion market-leading low power linear driver and TIAs.
The company said its Spica 800Gbps PAM4 DSP with integrated 56GBaud driver, enables either 2x400Gbps or 8x100Gbps optical modules with 100Gbps per lane electrical interfaces. Applications could include 800Gbps / 8x100Gbps optical interconnects in a compact form factor for single-mode fibers or multimode fibers. The Spica platform could be matched with Inphi’s 112Gbps Capella SerDes IP for next-generation AI processors and switches.
Inphi samples its 3rd gen, single-lambda PAM4
Inphi has begun sampling its Porrima Gen3 Single-Lambda PAM4 platform based on 7nm technology and optimized for hyperscale data center networks. The new design offers an expanded feature set and enhanced direct drive capability, further expanding the breadth of lasers that can be used with the integrated laser driver. The new platform is also designed to reduce total module power consumption to less than 8W for 400Gbps DR4/FR4 mode in the QSFP-DD form factor.
“Porrima Gen3 is another prime example of our ongoing dedication to this market, by increasing investments to exceed customer needs and stay ahead of the competition,” said Eric Hayes, SVP, Networking Interconnect, Inphi. “Not only are we delivering better performance and lower power with this third-generation PAM4 solution, but we are also making it easy for customers to make a smooth transition. This will accelerate adoption of this total solution and maintain our market leadership position.”
Inphi intros its 2nd gen 112Gbps SerDes in 7nm
Inphi released its second-generation, high performance 112Gbps SerDes IP solution in 7nm. Inphi said its new Capella SerDes IP is designed to ensure high performance across the most demanding environments for network connectivity and data transmission. The announcement builds on Inphi’s track record of having shipped over a million 56Gbps and 112Gbps ports to date. “Delivering the next generation of SerDes IP technology is a significant milestone…
NeoPhotonics samples 400ZR OSFP coherent transceiver
NeoPhotonics began sampling its new 400ZR ClearLight OSFP transceiver to a leading cloud -related customer. The new transceiver utilizes NeoPhotonics Silicon Photonics Coherent Optical Subassembly (COSA) and low power consumption, ultra-narrow linewidth Nano-ITLA tunable laser, combined with the latest generation of 7 nm DSP, to provide full 400ZR transmission in a standard data center OSFP form factor. NeoPhotonics said its new 400ZR ClearLight…
Inphi milestone: 100,000 COLORZ silicon photonics PAM4 units shipped
Inphi noted a company milestone — the shipment of more than 100,000 COLORZ units, its Silicon Photonics PAM4 platform solution for 80km DWDM connectivity in a QSFP28 form factor. Inphi said its unique approach in integrating PAM4 CMOS with silicon photonics enables the platform to achieve a 60% in cost and a 75% in power savings. Accomplishing the COLORZ ramp to 100k within a span of only three years also validates the network inflection point…
Inphi to acquire eSilicon for $226 million
Inphi Corporation agreed to acquire eSilicon for $216 million in both cash and the assumption of debt.
“The Inphi team is excited to enhance our value proposition to our cloud and telecom customers with the addition of the eSilicon team and IP,” said Ford Tamer, president and CEO of Inphi. “eSilicon adds to Inphi world-class 2.5D packaging, SerDes, custom silicon and operations teams. Just as we successfully leveraged our Cortina and Clariphy acquisitions, eSilicon will advance our shared commitments in driving successful customer engagement, industry-leading innovation, and best of class execution.”
Inphi lists the following drivers for the acquisition:
- Combine Inphi’s DSP, TiA, Driver and SiPho disciplines with eSilicon’s 2.5D packaging and custom silicon design capabilities and accelerate the roadmap for electro-optics, 5nm advanced CMOS process node, and custom DSP solutions
- Augment Inphi’s existing SerDes team and resources
- Extend Inphi’s addressable market in Cloud data center networking and Telecom 5G infrastructure with top tier OEM customers
- Expand Inphi’s presence into new, strategic geographies for talent acquisition with engineering design centers in Italy, Romania, Vietnam, and Spain and operations in Malaysia
- Add between $80 to $120 million to 2020 revenue, be accretive to 2020 EPS and both the 2021 revenue and EPS growth rates
- Increase Inphi’s operational scale with suppliers, lowering costs and resulting in financial leverage
- Result in Inphi paying about 2.2X 2020 revenue in a combination of cash and debt assumption
