Point2 is a new venture that’s working to bring radio technology to the data center. It is poised to revolutionize how we transmit and process data. Point2 was established nine years ago by experienced executives from Marvell, Nvidia, and Samsung. They’ve had no problem raising $55 million in venture capital and drew important strategic investment from Molex, one of the world’s biggest suppliers of cable-and-connector technologies. This support comes at an important time for Point2 as it gears up to release new technology that may completely change the landscape of data center efficiency.
TSX’s novel approach uses terahertz-frequency signals to improve data transfer rates orders-of-magnitude faster, while reducing power consumption and cost by an order of magnitude. By developing advanced cables capable of transmitting vast amounts of data with minimal latency, Point2 aims to address the growing demand for faster and more efficient data processing in modern computing environments.
The Technology Behind Point2’s Breakthrough
Point2’s technology encompasses multiple key technologies and innovations that are aimed at maximizing the efficiency of every bit of data transmitted. The system has a digital component that interfaces with Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). It uses a terahertz-frequency generator and a mixer to encode information onto the terahertz signal. This powerful combination enables Point2 to provide unparalleled performance, up to 1.6 terabits per second.
Central to this technology are Point2’s e-Tube cables, which are made up of eight e-Tube fibers. Each fiber can simultaneously transmit more than 200 gigabits of data, allowing very fast data transfer throughout the enormous data center. This unique short waveguide technology allows transmission of data at 10 Gigabits per second over distances of 20 meters. It surpasses conventional optical approaches in speed and energy efficiency.
A silicon chip, nicknamed the “brain”, is housed at each end of the e-Tube cable. This chip takes incoming digital data and converts it to modulated millimeter-wave frequencies. This chip can only be used in conjunction with an antenna. Together, they beam signals into the waveguide to connect devices across the data center effortlessly.
Funding and Strategic Partnerships
Point2’s odyssey has been bolstered by enormous capital support, chief of which was a $100 million investment from Molex. That’s where the partnership with Molex gets really interesting and important. It connects Point2 to the broader cable-and-connector ecosystem, providing us access to the capital and knowledge base to scale production and distribution. This collaboration positions Point2 to not only innovate but compete effectively in the rapidly evolving landscape of data center technology.
Through innovative technology and creative partnerships, Point2 focuses on connecting communities. This allows the firm to establish a predominant place in the market, meeting the increasing need for effective data transferring alternatives.
Competitive Advantages Over Traditional Optical Technologies
Point2’s technology has multiple benefits compared to standard optical approaches. Compared with optical systems, Point2’s solutions operate at just one-third the power consumption and at one-third lower cost. What’s more, Point2’s system latency can be up to 1000 times lower than legacy optical technologies. This incredible decrease in latency is a huge benefit for applications that need to process data in real-time.
The applications of these benefits are far-reaching, particularly in situations where time and repetition are of the essence. Point2’s technology has the potential to disrupt the way transceiver-processor packages work in data centers today, providing a clear technical advantage compared to what’s available.
To achieve this, the company hopes that its Automated Electronics Connectors (AECs) will be able to daisy chain individual GPUs together. These connections will help build the neural network of their scale-out network architecture. This increased attention to improving GPU interconnectivity fits a larger trend across industry towards a greater emphasis on higher-performance computing.
Back in April 2023, Point2 put its transmission prowess on full display. They set record 4-meter 970 GHz transmissions at the recent Optical Fiber Communications Conference. This successful demonstration showcased the viability of their technology and underscored its potential applications in data centers.
Future Developments and Manufacturing Plans
Point2, which is planning to begin production of the complex chips themselves later this year. These chips will power its game-changing 1.6-terabit-per-second cable, supported by eight super-thin polymer waveguides. Today’s move is an important step toward realizing that goal and bringing their pioneering technology to market at scale.
The ability to produce chips that operate at radio frequency (RF) enables Point2 to leverage standard silicon foundry processes for manufacturing. This unified approach saves time on production and all of it helps increase the scalability of their tech. As such, it enables broader implementation across all sectors of the data center industry.
Point2 is excitedly preparing for its next chapter. The company has very clear plans and is very focused on continuing to develop its technology and broaden its market presence. This is a period of great interest in high-speed data transfer solutions. Point2’s cutting-edge approach has the potential to make data centers more efficient and effective, drastically improving performance worldwide.