Relativity Networks, a leading at-scale provider of next-generation fiber-optic technology, announced it raised $4.6 million in pre-seed funding to address the growing demand for data centers and the substantial power requirements. And Relativity Networks’ technology will help the data industry meet that energy challenge by expanding the development beyond urban cores and into locations with more abundant power.
U.S. data centers consume a lot of electricity, and this is driven by the AI era’s insatiable data-processing needs. Industry forecasts suggest 40% of these facilities could face power shortages by 2027. And Relativity Networks’ hollow-core fiber (HCF) cable is already being used to expand the number of data centers for cloud-computing hyperscalers. The company’s HCF technology helps overcome a major obstacle limiting AI’s growth by transmitting data nearly 50% faster than conventional glass fiber.
Hollow-core fiber moves data faster with lower latency (less delay) than conventional fiber. And this enables data to travel 1.5 times farther without impacting the latency that can throw intricate multi-location data operations and applications out of sync. Even though traditional fiber optic cables typically limit data centers to within 60 kilometers (37 miles) of each other due to latency constraints, Relativity Networks’ HCF technology extends this range to 90 kilometers (56 miles). This increased geographic flexibility allows organizations to strategically position their data centers closer to existing and emerging power sources.
Jason Eichenholz (Relativity Networks’ Founder and CEO), who has a Ph.D. in optical sciences and engineering, is a pioneer in laser and photonics-enabled technologies, holding more than 90 patents in the field. Eichenholz has also led the R&D and commercialization of hundreds of millions of dollars in revolutionary products. And he co-founded and took public Luminar, one of the leading providers of the lidar (light detection and ranging) technology that enables autonomous vehicles. Volvo is now among the automakers using Luminar’s lidar technology.
Relativity Networks, which Eichenholz founded in 2023 following his time at Luminar, is commercializing HCF technology originally developed by co-founder Professor Rodrigo Amezcua at CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics at the University of Central Florida.
Relativity Networks’ pre-seed funding was raised by a group of private investors following the initial investment from Eichenholz. And the company has already secured multimillion-dollar contracts and has deployed its technology in several U.S. field installations, marking a major step in the company’s growth trajectory. Relativity Networks’ business model is based on bringing in the right partners to scale to high volume production rapidly, ensuring there will be enough supply to support the entire industry.
KEY QUOTES:
“Currently, new data centers can’t be built fast enough to satisfy the rapidly expanding AI-driven economy and the lack of available power is an existential threat to fueling that growth. By moving data faster with lower latency at nearly the speed of light, we are providing the industry new geographic optionality to address the energy-intensive data needs of today’s AI-driven digital economy.”
“We’re well positioned to redefine the optical network of the future.”
- Jason Eichenholz, Relativity Networks’ Founder and CEO
“Hollow core fiber (HCF) represents the next revolution in optical networking, offering unprecedented speeds and lower latency that traditional fiber simply cannot match. This breakthrough demonstrates a decade of dedicated research by our team. The Relativity Networks team has a proven track record in developing and commercializing innovative technology solutions, and we have great confidence that they are the best partner to scale such an operation. UCF strongly values industry partnerships and this is a wonderful example of how collaboration between academia and industry can lead to accelerated innovation that translates into significant societal impact.”
- Dr. Winston Schoenfeld, Vice President for Research and Innovation at the University of Central Florida
