Soitec photonics demand is surging
Soitec’s SOI photonics position is being framed as critical for co‑packaged optics and AI scaling, with analysts forecasting ~4x wafer demand tied to Nvidia/Broadcom ramps. That makes photonics supply a potential bottleneck for data‑center and co‑packaged networking ramps. (x.com)
Soitec announced on March 19, 2025 that it had joined an industry alliance to accelerate commercialisation of co‑packaged optics and highlighted its Photonics‑SOI platform and industrial capacity as critical enablers for CPO scale‑up. (soitec.com(soitec.com)) (soitec.com) NVIDIA publicly unveiled two co‑packaged optics products, Spectrum‑X and Quantum‑X, on March 18, 2025, milestones that industry analysis cites when mapping hyperscaler demand drivers for photonics substrates. (yolegroup.com(yolegroup.com)) (yolegroup.com) Soitec’s FY‑25 results showed Q4 revenue of €327m and FY‑25 revenue of €891m while the company reported Photonics‑SOI wafer sales “much stronger” sequentially in Q4’25. (markets.ft.com(markets.ft.com)) (markets.ft.com) Soitec told investors its addressable wafer market could expand from roughly 5 million (200 mm equivalent) in 2024 to around 12 million by 2030, and the group disclosed FY‑26 capex expected at about €150m while withdrawing formal guidance due to reduced visibility. (markets.ft.com(markets.ft.com)) (markets.ft.com) On March 2, 2026 NVIDIA announced multiyear strategic investments of $2bn each in Lumentum and Coherent that include multibillion‑dollar purchase commitments and future capacity access rights to expand US optics manufacturing. (investor.nvidia.com(investor.nvidia.com)) (investor.nvidia.com) Market intelligence firms show silicon‑photonics wafer demand models implying very high growth — commonly cited ~30%+ CAGRs and multi‑fold increases in wafer volume — while sector reports flag a near‑term capacity gap even as 300 mm photonics capacity projects proceed. (mordorintelligence.com(mordorintelligence.com)) (mordorintelligence.com) Soitec’s shares traded lower in March 2026 amid analyst notes of semiconductor inventory adjustments at major customers and documented order deferrals that are pressuring short‑term wafer pulls across substrate suppliers. (ad-hoc-news.de(ad-hoc-news.de)) (ad-hoc-news.de)
