Optical-interconnect startup Guanglian Xinke closes A+ round at over $1B valuation and unveils ZW1000 maskless programmable silicon-photonic lithography tool

Founded in 2023, Guanglian Xinke (光联芯科) closed an A+ round in August 2026 at a valuation above $1 billion, calling itself the first unicorn in optical interconnects. Sequoia Capital China has participated in four consecutive rounds; the round amount was not disclosed.

At the September 9 Shenzhen CIOE, it showed the ZW1000 maskless programmable silicon-photonic lithography tool, which uses laser annealing to tune microring resonances. Claimed specs: error under 10 picometers, a 5-hour wafer process, and yield from below 10% to 99% — all company figures without independent or customer-line verification.

Original sources (Chinese)