aXenic designs and manufactures GaAs Mach‑Zehnder and IQ electro‑optic modulators for satellite, aerospace and defense communications. Their compact, low‑SWaP devices deliver flat frequency response up to 50 GHz with drive voltages under 5 V and radiation‑tolerant performance, eliminating the need for active temperature control. aXenic also provides full‑service engineering, from custom design and prototyping to qualified production, packaging and testing.
Funding
$672.2K raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
FDNMFounders
Product
Problem
Satellite and aerospace communication systems require high‑speed optical modulators that are lightweight, power‑efficient, and able to operate reliably in harsh space environments. Existing technologies such as lithium‑niobate often demand bulky packaging, temperature control, or cannot meet the bandwidth and radiation tolerance needed for next‑generation high‑throughput satellites.
Solution
aXenic designs and manufactures gallium arsenide (GaAs) Mach‑Zehnder and IQ electro‑optic modulators optimized for satellite and defense applications. Their devices combine a compact folded‑optics architecture with low drive voltage (<5 V) and flat frequency response up to 50 GHz, eliminating the need for active temperature control. The GaAs chips are produced in high‑volume foundries, providing environmental stability and radiation tolerance suitable for space deployment. aXenic also offers end‑to‑end services—from custom device design and prototyping to full‑scale production, packaging, and testing—allowing customers to integrate high‑performance modulators quickly into broadband digital, RF‑over‑fiber, and phased‑array antenna systems.
Target Audience
Primary customers are satellite manufacturers, aerospace and defense system integrators, and communication equipment providers that need high‑bandwidth, space‑qualified optical modulators for satellite payloads, ground stations, and RF‑over‑fiber links.
Features
- Compact, low size‑weight‑power (SWaP) form factor with folded‑optics layout
- Linear electro‑optic response and flat frequency response to 50 GHz (up to 60 GHz for some models)
- Low RF drive voltage (<5 V DC) with SMPM RF connectors and fiber I/O on opposite ends
- Integrated output monitor photodiode for real‑time performance feedback
- Radiation‑tolerant GaAs substrate offering environmental stability without temperature control
- Custom design, prototyping, and qualified production runs with full packaging and test services
- Wide range of modulator types (broadband MZM, IQ modulators, dual‑polarization devices) covering DC‑60 GHz applications