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Bosch Ventures invests in Point2 to revolutionize multi-terabit interconnect for AI and Automotive

New $22 million Funding to Accelerate Point2’s E-Tube Interconnect Platform, shattering the “copper or optics” paradigm for cable interconnect.

  • New e-Tube technology reduces power consumption, weight, and costs for data transmission.
  • Dr. Ingo Ramesohl, Managing Director of Bosch Ventures: “Point2 and its technologies have high potential to become a disruptor in network interconnect in automotive and datacenter markets.”
  • First products already in production for high performance datacenter.

Christoph Ferle

X

Stuttgart, Germany – Bosch Ventures, the corporate venture capital unit of the Bosch Group, participates in the $22 million Series B extension from Point2. This round positions Point2 as a potential disruptor for network interconnect in the automotive market. Shattering the “copper or optics” paradigm for high-speed cable interconnect, E-Tube breaks the barriers of copper and optical cabling and is poised to become the next-generation multi-terabit interconnect technology for datacenter applications and the automotive sector.

The new E-Tube platform uses RF data transmission via a plastic dielectric waveguide to enable multi-terabit active cables. According to Point2, this results in 80% lower weight, 50% less bulk compared with copper cables, and 50% lower power consumption and costs compared with optical cables. This profile gives the E-Tube platform the potential to replace both.

A potential disruption for the automotive connectivity market

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in automotive are adopting a network-centric architecture to connect hundreds of sensors, driving the need for low-power, low-latency, lightweight, and flexible interconnect for future automotive applications.

"We are thrilled to have support from Bosch Ventures and Molex as we advance our mission to revolutionize interconnect technology in AI/ML data centers and next-generation automotive applications," said Sean Park, Point2's founder and CEO. "Our investment from Bosch Ventures underlines the importance and high potential of Point2’s low-power, low-latency, scalable interconnect technologies in the expansive automotive sector, and further amplifying our impact connecting AI workloads for the growing data center market.”

“Moving forward, interconnect provides critical infrastructure for high-performance and energy-efficient data centers and networked automotive applications," said Ingo Ramesohl, Managing Director of Bosch Ventures. "Point2’s unique interconnect SoC solutions deliver the high-bandwidth interconnect required in the data center and automotive sector while reducing energy consumption and minimizing carbon footprint. The company and its technologies have a high potential to become a disruptor in network interconnect in both markets.”

Strong partnerships

Besides Bosch Ventures, strategic investor Molex is also joining the round, and plans to support the future commercialization of the E-Tube technology. Existing investors are participating and make up the rest of the oversubscribed round.

The boost in funding comes at a time when the use of AI in data centers is skyrocketing. Generative AI and large language models are increasing the demand for computing resources and network interconnect capacity in next-generation hyperscale data centers, where the integration of Point2 interconnect chips is set to revolutionize connectivity.

In the past, Point2 has already gained recognition for its ultra-low-power, low-latency, cloud-optimized mixed-signal SoCs, which are purpose-built for active electrical cables (AECs). AECs built with Point2’s Cloud Connect Engines require significantly less power and space than other AEC solutions.

Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC) is the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, a leading global supplier of technology and services. RBVC invests worldwide in innovative start-up companies at all stages of their development. Its investment activities focus on technology companies working in areas of business of current and future relevance for Bosch, above all, automation and electrification, energy efficiency, enabling technologies, and healthcare systems. RBVC also invests in services and business models that are relevant to the above-mentioned areas of business. Furthermore, RBVC enables co-innovation between Bosch and startup through the Open Bosch Program.

Additional information is available at www.rbvc.com

About Point2
Point2 Technology, headquartered in San Jose, Calif., designs and manufactures ultra-low power, low-latency, point-to-point interconnect and range enhancement SoC solutions purpose-built to meet the bandwidth requirements of hyperscale AI/ML datacenters and 5G infrastructure. Founded by an accomplished team from Marvell, Finisar and Samsung, Point2 is a leading innovator that is reimagining data center and 5G cloud infrastructure interconnects in the multi-terabit era. www.point2tech.com.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 429,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2023). The company generated sales of 91.6 billion euros in 2023. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. With its business activities, the company aims to use technology to help shape universal trends such as automation, electrification, digitalization, connectivity, and an orientation to sustainability. In this context, Bosch’s broad diversification across regions and industries strengthens its innovativeness and robustness. Bosch uses its proven expertise in sensor technology, software, and services to offer customers cross-domain solutions from a single source. It also applies its expertise in connectivity and artificial intelligence in order to develop and manufacture user-friendly, sustainable products. With technology that is “Invented for life,” Bosch wants to help improve quality of life and conserve natural resources. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. Bosch’s innovative strength is key to the company’s further development. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 90,000 associates in research and development, of which nearly 48,000 are software engineers.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com.

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