As AI models grow, the need for ultra-high bandwidth data movement between chips is becoming one of the biggest infrastructure challenges in modern computing. Traditional interconnect technologies are not designed for AI-scale workloads, and bandwidth limitations are increasingly limiting performance across hyperscale data centers.
Kandou, based in Saint-Sulpice, Switzerland, is independent from the École Polytechnique de Lausanne (EPFL) and is tackling this problem through its high-speed copper-based interconnect technology. Its chips are designed to move data faster and more efficiently between GPUs, CPUs, and memory modules using advanced signal integrity and equalization techniques that reduce latency and power consumption.
According to industry reports, the company has raised about $225 million in a Series A round to accelerate its efforts in this space. The round is said to include a number of financial and strategic backers, reportedly including SoftBank Group, Synopsys, Cadence Design Systems, and Alchip Technologies.
Founded by mathematician and EPFL professor Dr. Amin Shokrollahi, the company, whose coding theory research underpins Kandou’s signal transmission method, has established itself as one of Europe’s most prominent innovators in low-power, high-bandwidth chip-to-chip links.
Kandou’s copper-based interconnect platform, sold in the Chord™ signaling architecture, is already being deployed in a large number of applications, with more than 20 million silicon units shipped worldwide.
Direct competitors include Ayar Labs, Lightmatter, Celestial AI, and ZeroPoint Technologies.
If confirmed, the new capital will support scaling production of AI-centric connectivity chips, expanding global partnerships with hyperscalers, and developing multi-terabit interconnection solutions optimized for next-generation AI and cloud systems.
