Who is making photonic chips? AI data centers are entering the era of high-speed interconnection. As NVIDIA GPU clusters scale up, 800G and 1.6T optical modules and CPO (co-packaged optics) have become key directions for the next generation of AI infrastructure, with photonic chips emerging as the core component of the entire industrial chain. China’s photonic chip industrial chain primarily includes the following companies: 1. Yuanjie Technology One of China’s most pure-play photonic chip companies, focusing primarily on laser chips, including DFB laser chips, and a major beneficiary of high-speed optical module upgrades in AI data centers. 2. Accelink Technologies One of China’s leading optical communication companies, covering the full industrial chain from photonic chips to components and modules, with multiple photonic chip technology platforms including DFB, EML, and VCSEL, and a key representative of China’s domestic optical communication industry. 3. Shijia Photonics Specializing in photonic chips and optical components, with technological expertise in passive photonic chips such as PLC and AWG, benefiting from growing demand for high-speed optical interconnects. 4. Huawei Technologies (Wuhan) Focused on optical modules, laser technology, and intelligent manufacturing, continuously developing in the field of high-speed optical modules for data centers, and an important participant in the AI optical interconnection industrial chain. 5. Changguang Huaxin Specializing in semiconductor laser chips with strong R&D capabilities in high-power laser chips, possessing high technical barriers within the laser industry chain. 6. Jepite Primarily focused on lasers, optoelectronic equipment, and optical connectivity products, continuously expanding in the fields of high-speed optical interconnection and laser applications. 7. Hengtong Optical A traditional leader in optical fiber and cable, also investing in the optical communication industrial chain, benefiting from data center interconnection, submarine cable systems, and upgrades to communication infrastructure. 8. Yandong Microelectronics Possesses semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and operates in optoelectronic semiconductor-related areas, primarily focused on wafer manufacturing and supporting roles within the industrial chain. 9. Xink Mobile Mainly engaged in communications equipment and 5G-related services; photonic chips are not its core business, but it remains a participant in the broader communications industry ecosystem. From an investment perspective in AI optical interconnection: First Tier: Yuanjie Technology — High purity in photonic chips, directly benefiting from high-speed optical module upgrades. Accelink Technologies — Most comprehensive industrial chain coverage, with integrated competitiveness from chip to module. Shijia Photonics — Focused on niche photonic chip segments, poised to benefit from long-term demand for optical interconnection. Second Tier: Huawei Technologies (Wuhan) — Benefiting from rising demand for AI data center optical modules. Hengtong Optical — Benefiting from global communication infrastructure and data center interconnection. Changguang Huaxin, Jepite — Monitoring breakthroughs in laser chips and optoelectronic technologies. The competition in the AI era is expanding from “compute chips” to “connectivity chips.” Over the coming years, as GPU quantities continue to grow and internal data transmission pressures within data centers intensify, optical interconnection, CPO, and silicon photonics may become critical directions for the next wave of AI infrastructure upgrades. Photonic chips could become the next critical link in the AI supply chain—following GPUs and HBM memory.