Top 7 China Silicon Photonics Companies 2025
China's silicon photonics market reached RMB 25 billion in 2025, driven by surging demand for high-speed optical transceivers in AI data centers and 5G networks. Chinese companies have achieved significant breakthroughs in 800G and 1.6T silicon photonics transceivers, reducing dependence on US and Japanese optical component suppliers. The technology is critical for China's AI infrastructure buildout, where interconnect bandwidth is a key bottleneck.
TL;DR: China's silicon photonics market reaches RMB 25B driven by AI data center demand. InnoLight leads 800G silicon photonics transceivers shipped to major cloud providers while Accelink provides coherent optics for 5G backbone networks at 400G+ speeds.
Top Companies
InnoLight (新易盛)
800G silicon photonics leaderInnoLight is China's leading silicon photonics transceiver manufacturer, producing 800G DR8 and 2x400G silicon photonics modules for AI data centers. Its products are supplied to major Chinese cloud providers including Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, and Huawei Cloud, with annual revenue exceeding RMB 5 billion.
Accelink (光迅科技)
Coherent optics leaderAccelink is China's largest optical component company, producing coherent optical transceivers for 5G backbone and metro networks. Its 400G ZR/ZR+ coherent modules are deployed in China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile networks, with 800G coherent products in customer qualification.
Huawei Optics (华为光通信)
Integrated photonics platformHuawei has developed one of the world's most advanced silicon photonics platforms, integrating lasers, modulators, and detectors on silicon. Its proprietary photonics chips are used across Huawei's optical networking products, reducing dependence on external optical component suppliers. Huawei invests RMB 10B+ annually in photonics R&D.
Eoptolink (易飞扬)
Cost-effective transceiversEoptolink specializes in cost-effective optical transceivers including 100G, 200G, and 400G silicon photonics modules. It serves the Chinese and international telecom markets, with particular strength in access network and enterprise data center applications where cost is the primary consideration.
Hisense Broadband (海信宽带)
PON and access opticsHisense Broadband is China's leading supplier of optical access components including PON transceivers, triplexers, and optical splitters for FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) deployments. Its 10G PON components supply China's massive broadband upgrade, with 100M+ optical components shipped annually.
Source Photonics (索尔思光电)
DCI transceiversSource Photonics produces high-speed optical transceivers for data center interconnect (DCI) and metro applications, including 400G and 800G modules. The company combines Chinese manufacturing with silicon photonics design expertise, serving both Chinese and international customers with competitive products.
SiPhotonIC (硅光芯片)
Silicon photonics foundrySiPhotonIC (Chinese Academy of Sciences spinoff) operates a silicon photonics foundry service, providing multi-project wafer (MPW) runs for photonic IC design companies. Its SOI-based platform supports modulators, detectors, and waveguides, enabling fabless photonics companies to manufacture silicon photonic chips in China.
Comparison Table
| Company | Product | Speed | Key Customer | Revenue Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InnoLight | Silicon photonics | 800G | Cloud providers | RMB 5B+ |
| Accelink | Coherent optics | 400G ZR | Telecom operators | RMB 8B+ |
| Huawei Optics | Integrated PIC | Various | Internal | Internal |
| Eoptolink | Transceivers | 100-400G | Telecom, enterprise | RMB 2B+ |
| Hisense Broadband | PON optics | 10G PON | FTTH operators | RMB 3B+ |
| Source Photonics | DCI modules | 400-800G | DCI operators | RMB 1.5B+ |
| SiPhotonIC | Foundry | MPW service | Fabless | RMB 500M+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is silicon photonics important for AI data centers?
AI data centers require massive interconnect bandwidth between GPU clusters. Silicon photonics enables 800G and 1.6T optical links that are more power-efficient and longer-reach than copper cables. For AI training clusters with 10,000+ GPUs, optical interconnects using silicon photonics can reduce power consumption by 50%+ compared to electrical connections, while enabling the bandwidth required for distributed training workloads.
How does China compare in silicon photonics globally?
China's silicon photonics industry has closed the gap significantly with global leaders. Chinese companies (InnoLight, Accelink) are competitive in 400G-800G transceivers, though they lag in ultra-high-speed coherent DSP (where Marvell, Cisco, Inphi lead). Huawei's integrated photonics platform is among the most advanced globally. China's key weakness is in indium phosphide lasers and advanced modulator materials.
What is China's silicon photonics capacity?
China has 5+ silicon photonics fabs and foundries capable of producing silicon photonic chips, with total capacity exceeding 1 million wafers/year (6-inch equivalent). Major capacity expansions are underway at Huahong, SMIC, and dedicated photonics fabs. China targets self-sufficiency in silicon photonics chips by 2027 to support its AI infrastructure buildout.