Global Foundry/Lightwave Logics Business Model
This is Photonic Guys Occam's Razor Logic
Facts:
1. Traditionally, Data Center operators (the FAANG's, Facebook, Amazon, etc.) contract with large hardware manufacturers/integrators (Intel, Cisco, etc.) to design/build the data centers to meet specific requirements of the operator. The H/W manufacturers then work with individual transceiver providers to build components that enabled the integrator to meet the requirements of the data center operator. This results in the entire system being "owned" by the data center operator along with all of the leverage that entails. For example, if LWLG modulators were used in this process, then the IP gleaned by Lightwave can only be sold to Intel – control over Lightwave’s revenue and access to markets is in the hands of Intel. This has resulted in an almost monopolistic control over the marketplace into the hands of the large system operators.
2. Dr. Lebby emphasized that LWLG is working with foundries (plural) to provide them with PDKs to allow LWLG IP to be embedded into the foundries' processes to enable various foundry customers to produce components that include LWLG polymers.
3. Dr. Lebby mentioned in the recent AGM presentation of the need for "standardization" in the fabrication of photonics products. Essentially, selecting the features desired from a catalog, customizing the platform and then fabricating them to meet a customer's specific needs.
4. Global Foundries (about to go IPO) purchased a commodity chip operation from IBM. From a Forbes article about GF's Malta operation:
Quote:
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Through strategic acquisitions, such as IBM’s microelectronics business, and fruitful partnerships with the likes of Ayar Labs and MACOM, GlobalFoundries quietly became a force in silicon photonics. It’s already captured 10% of the foundry business—if it continues at this rate, it will soon be impossible to overlook.
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5. Dr. Karen Liu (VP Marketing LWLG) shows on her profile has having moved to NY Greater Metro area, which is about 30 min from Malta.
Let's see if we can connect a few of these dots...
Suppose that LWLG and GF were to establish a partnership. This would easily enable any number of component manufacturers to include LWLG IP in their transceivers along with the performance benefits of polymers. Then these massive markets are able to be addressed in a much accelerated fashion with relatively small incremental investment as GF already has all the trained staff, factories and equipment along with LWLG's PDK processes in place to instantly spin LWLG polymers into these new components.
If this were to be the case, this partnership would hit the ground running and could ramp up at an astonishing rate. Lightwave would avoid the growing pains of building a company from scratch with the required staffing, training, equipment, real-estate development, testing labs, etc. that would be required if they were to go it alone.
Occam's Razor: "the simplest explanation is usually the best one."
I usually don't operate in the realm of speculation and conjecture, but when taking all the above facts into context and applying Occam's Razor results in the distinct possibility/probability that something similar to the above conclusion may be in the works.
PG
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