UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) startup Lucidean, founded in 2022, is changing the data center ecosystem with its new class of coherent optical interconnects. The company is addressing a tradeoff faced by data centers: using low-cost IMDD optical links that are limited over distances or using high-performance coherent links that require expensive equipment with high power needs.
To address this challenge, Lucidean has developed a new class of coherent optical interconnects, designed for seamless adoption in today’s data center and AI/ML networks. The company’s CohZero™ platform is designed to operate entirely within the existing IMDD ecosystem, and it features a coherent-class link budget, reduced impact from fiber impairments, and expanded data rates. This unique combination enables hyperscalers to scale to multi-terabit coherent performance without tight wavelength control, the overhead of traditional coherent DSPs, or disruptive physical-layer redesigns.
The company was founded by a team with deep UCSB roots. Co-founders and co-CTOs Hector Andrade and Aaron Maharry both hold PhDs from the school, and the academic co-founders are Professors Larry Coldren and Clint Schow. Additionally, Lucidean’s leadership team includes other UCSB graduates.
In 2025, Lucidean raised $18M in a Series 2 seed round. The funds will be used to expand R&D efforts, accelerate production, and validate the performance of the CohZero™ architecture.