Xscape Photonics Reveals EagleX Laser Evaluation Kit for ChromX Platform

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 18, 2025--

Xscape Photonics, a Silicon Valley startup using silicon photonics to support the next generation of AI data centers, today announced sampling availability of the EagleX Laser Evaluation Kit for its ChromX platform. The system, based on Xscape Photonics’ proprietary multi-color laser source fabricated on wafer-scale Silicon Photonics (SiPho) platform, is a plug-and-play kit for the industry’s first multi-color laser that can emit up to 16 colors at high optical output power. The EagleX Laser Evaluation Kit will be showcased in the Chiplet Pavilion exhibition at DAC 2025, June 22-25, 2025 in San Francisco.

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As predicted in a report by McKinsey, the global demand for data center capacity could nearly triple by 2030, with AI workloads accounting for roughly 70% of that demand. With such rapid growth within the AI ecosystem, scalability factors – such as bandwidth requirements and enormous levels of energy consumption – are running up against hard constraints posed by the data center infrastructure that currently supports AI models. In addition, data centers have historically been limited to transmitting data streams over four colors on a single fiber. As bandwidth demand has grown, this traditional approach has become unsustainable and now requires a scalable laser and photonics platform to address the ever-growing increase in volume demand for lasers in these networks.

Xscape Photonics addresses these challenges by providing a multi-color platform that supports the generation of 8 and 16 colors compliant with the CW-WDM MSA within the O-band spectrum range. The proprietary SiPho-based, multi-color source device within the kit can generate a set of these compliant wavelengths from a single off-the-shelf DFB pump laser in a single output fiber. This unique technology enables hyperscale customers to reimagine the data center fabric to achieve volume, cost and density targets without being restricted by bandwidth bottlenecks.

“Today’s AI data centers are simply not efficient enough. No matter how powerful the underlying GPU’s computing capability is, the bottlenecks created by existing data center networking infrastructure only allow users to see a fraction of it – it’s like driving a Ferrari in a traffic jam,” said Vivek Raghunathan, Co-Founder and CEO of Xscape Photonics. “This platform will provide a new vector of bandwidth scaling, up to 16x, to power the roadmap of AI hardware based on optics over the next decade.”

The EagleX Laser Evaluation Kit represents the first public availability of the ChromX platform since Xscape Photonics secured a $44 million Series A funding round in October 2024 to accelerate its development. ChromX is optimized to help customers develop novel, low-power fabric connectivity solutions for AI clusters, with key applications including AI interconnect, optical computing interconnect, Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) and Near Packaged Optics (NPO). The EagleX kit is a plug-and-play “sandbox” unit designed for customer operation and will allow users to test ChromX as a part of their silicon development process and enable data-driven architecture decisions for their platforms.

Xscape Photonics was founded in 2022 by a team of distinguished SiPho pioneers from Columbia University. The PhDs and engineers that comprise the team come from experience across the semiconductor space, at such organizations as Broadcom, Cerebras, InPhi, Intel, Juniper, Lumentum, Marvell and Neophotonics.

Xscape Photonics will conduct live demos of the EagleX Laser Evaluation Kit in the Chiplet Pavilion exhibition at DAC 2025 (Booth #2308D), June 22-25, 2025 in San Francisco. For more information, and to request a sample of the EagleX Laser Evaluation Kit, contact sales@xscapephotonics.com.

About Xscape Photonics

Xscape Photonics develops photonic platform solutions designed for ultra-high bandwidth connections inside data centers to power Gen AI systems. The company's proprietary platform targets scaling of AI computing performance in an environmentally sustainable manner and is optimized for power, cost, scale and reliability. To learn more, follow us on LinkedIn or visit xscapephotonics.com.

The EagleX Laser Evaluation Kit from Xscape Photonics.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — For Australia’s opener against Turkey, the Socceroos’ presumed starting goalkeeper was Mathew Ryan, who entered this tournament as a veteran of three World Cups and the team's captain.

Manager Tony Popovic instead turned to a 22-year-old keeper, who would be playing in just his third ever international match: Patrick Beach.

“A couple of days ago, the boss and our keeper coach pulled me aside and told me that I’d be playing,” Beach said. “They had confidence in me, and that became the confidence I needed to get out there and do my job tonight.”

In the 30th minute, while the Socceroos held an unexpected 1-0 lead over Turkey, Beach made his first save of many, quickly justifying Popovic’s bold decision.

As Turkey’s Abdulkerim Bardakci launched a blistering long-range shot destined for the goal, Beach made a fully outstretched save to redirect the ball off the post and away to safety.

He added another pair of excellent saves in the second half, diving to deny Arda Guler's free kick from outside the box and turning away Kerem Akturkoglu’s shot from near the penalty spot.

Beach finished with eight-saves and a clean sheet. The Sydney native has only played two professional seasons to Ryan’s 16, both as the starting keeper for Melbourne City of Australia’s A-League.

Beach started in the Socceroos’ final friendly match before the World Cup, a 1-1 draw to Switzerland, but did not appear in any of his nation’s nine other friendlies dating back to June 2025.

“You get out there, and you’re in front of 50,000 people, and how many (more) around the world,” Beach said. “So, there’s those, but at the end of the day you just keep it simple. It’s a game of football, and two teams just going at it.”

The inexperienced goalkeeper remained poised while Turkey controlled 72% of possession and attempted 30 shots, with eight on target. In by far the biggest match of his life, Beach said he was nervous, but the strong defense in front of him and the confidence of his teammates and coaches helped him pull through.

“It’s a team selected to perform well,” Popovic said when asked of his decision to start Beach over Ryan. “Regardless of the result it was the right decision.”

The upset win moved Australia to second place in Group D, just behind the United States on goal differential. More significant than its position in the standings, however, was that the victory represented one of Australia’s most impressive World Cup starts in decades. Much of the credit belongs to its young goalkeeper.

“He looked very at ease on the big stage,” Popovic said of Beach. “He made the saves he had to make. The quality they have, and the wonderful free kicks he took — he was up to the task.”

Ben Kule is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Australia's Patrick Beach celebrates after the World Cup Group D soccer match between Australia and Turkey in Vancouver, Canada, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach (18) celebrates after defeating Turkey during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Sydney Shankman)

Australia's Patrick Beach makes a save during the World Cup Group D soccer match between Australia and Turkey in Vancouver, Canada, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Australia's Patrick Beach celebrates after the World Cup Group D soccer match between Australia and Turkey in Vancouver, Canada, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)