AOptix Gets $18M

CAMPBELL, Calif. -- AOptix Technologies, a leading provider of Free Space Optics (FSO) communications systems, today announced the closing of an $18 million Series B round of financing, co-led by Lehman Brothers and 3i. The round also included participation from existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Clearstone Venture Partners. As part of the financing, Brian Paul of Lehman Brothers and David Aslin of 3i have joined AOptix's Board of Directors. AOptix Technologies designs and builds carrier-class FSO systems used by telecommunications service providers to deliver high-speed communications to business customers. FSO systems transmit optical signals over a laser beam sent through the air (or "free space") at a fraction of the cost and time needed to trench and install fiber optic cables. "Our product's capabilities are very different than anything available in the market today and will set new standards for distance, bandwidth, operation through windows and easy installation. We are confident our breakthrough technology will move FSO from niche-applications to wide-spread carrier deployment in metro markets," explained Tony Shakib, CEO of AOptix. "We are extremely pleased to be backed by four top-tier investors." Shakib, previously General Manager and Vice President of Nortel Networks Broadband Access Group, together with his seasoned management team, have decades of experience successfully developing and selling access products to the carrier market worldwide. Aoptix Technologies