POET Technologies Inc. (“POET”) (OTCQX:POETF) (TSX Venture:PTK), a designer, developer and manufacturer of optoelectronic devices, including light sources, passive wave guides and Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC), today announced the Company has executed an agreement for the co-development of transmit device solutions with Almae Technologies SAS (“Almae”), a France-based manufacturer of advanced photonic products. The purpose of the agreement is to jointly develop, manufacture and sell a series of laser modules based on the POET Optical Interposer™ platform into high-speed data communication applications.

The companies will collaborate on designs of lasers and modulators to be compatible with POET’s Optical Interposer and to provide foundry services for both epitaxial supply and device fabrication. The collective efforts of the two companies will be carried out through a series of overlapping projects, covering the exchange of data and techniques, co-development activities, commercial arrangements, and strategies for pursuing global go-to-market sales.

POET’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Suresh Venkatesan, commented, “We are very pleased to establish a framework for collaboration with Almae, a leading European supplier of high-performance EML lasers based on a novel buried heterostructure design and an advanced PIC fabrication platform. In addition to the joint development of Optical Interposer-compatible devices, the agreement outlines an arrangement for sharing expertise and resources to accelerate time-to-market for both companies, while also expanding our collective geographic reach and providing a much larger market opportunity.”

Dr. Jean-Louis Gentner, Chief Executive Officer of Almae Technologies, stated, “The framework for collaboration with POET follows closely behind the recent introduction of our 25G integrated laser-modulator (25G EML), which has broad application in high-performance photonics.  The inclusion of our device designs into the POET Optical Interposer platform will expand the applications we can address in both the datacom and telecom markets.  We are also pleased to be able to offer our epitaxial foundry services to POET and to take advantage of POET’s fabrication capabilities in Singapore.”