Enablence Technologies Triples PLC Wafer Production Capacity to Meet AI and Datacenter Demand

Enablence Technologies Completes Multi-Million-Dollar Fab Upgrade
Enablence Technologies Inc. (TSXV: ENA), a key supplier of planar lightwave circuit (PLC) optical chips, announced on December 18, 2025, the successful completion of a multi-million-dollar investment to upgrade its Silicon Valley fabrication facility. The investment focused on acquiring advanced etching, lithography, and deposition tooling at its Fremont, California wafer fab.
The primary outcome of this upgrade is a significant increase in manufacturing capability. The company stated that the production ramp more than triples its PLC-based wafer production capacity. This substantial expansion positions Enablence to capitalize on the accelerating demand for high-performance optical components across several critical technology sectors.
Capacity Expansion Targets AI and Datacenter Infrastructure
The strategic capacity expansion is directly tied to meeting the growing U.S. demand for PLC-based optical devices, which are essential components in modern high-speed networks. These devices are crucial for supporting the infrastructure required by:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications.
- High-Performance Computing (HPC).
- Datacenter networks.
- Advanced vision and LiDAR systems.
PLC technology is foundational for optical chips used in datacom and telecom applications, enabling high-speed data transmission with low power consumption—a necessity for energy-intensive AI and datacenter environments. By tripling its capacity, Enablence aims to secure a larger share of the market for these specialized components.
The production ramp more than triples the Company's PLC based wafer production capacity, positioning Enablence to meet rapidly growing demand from its datacenter, AI infrastructure, and LiDAR businesses.
Market Impact and Forward Outlook
The investment underscores the ongoing capital expenditure trend within the semiconductor and optical components industry, where companies are racing to keep pace with the infrastructure build-out necessitated by generative AI. For Enablence, the successful completion of the tooling upgrade mitigates potential supply constraints and allows the company to better serve its existing and prospective customers in the datacenter and AI markets.
The Fremont, California facility serves as a critical domestic source for these components, aligning with broader industry trends emphasizing resilient supply chains. The ramp-up in production capacity is expected to translate into higher revenue potential as the company fulfills orders driven by the robust demand for high-bandwidth optical interconnects, particularly those utilized in next-generation AI clusters and cloud computing platforms.



