ClariPhy Communications, a US-based chip maker, has raised $14m in its fourth round of funding from a consortium led by phone infrastructure supplier Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN).
ClariPhy provides integrated circuits to help networks transport information and NSN said its undisclosed amount invested would help a new chip as data traffic is increasing by 60% per year.
NSN said by 2015 data traffic across mobile networks alone would exceed 43 Exabytes, equivalent to 6.3 billion people downloading two digital books every day.
Vesa Tykkyläinen, head of the optical networks business line at Finland-based NSN, said" "The rapid processing of digital signals is crucial in high capacity optical networks.
"We are investing in a company that is innovative and a forerunner of the coherent chip technology. Together with our leading R&D, ClariPhy will enable us to be at the forefront of high performance and low power consumption next-generation optical platforms capable of 400G and beyond along with reducing equipment footprint."
In May last year, strategic investors backed ClariPhy Communications’ $24m of third round funding.
Nasdaq-listed equipment making peer Oclaro led the series C round for ClariPhy, and said it invested $7.5m.
The remainder of the C round came from undisclosed strategic investors and its existing venture capital backers Norwest Venture Partners, Allegis Capital, Onset Ventures and Pacific General Partners.
ClariPhy closed its series A round in February 2006 at $13m and held an undisclosed series B round in 2008.