Fremont, CA, September 5, 2002 - Genoa Corporation, a provider of linear optical amplifiers (LOA), has established significant distribution partnerships for the European, Japanese, and Korean markets, in response to a growing use of the LOA outside of the U.S.
"For cost, size and performance reasons, the LOA is a key enabler of optical systems for metro and access applications," said Jim Witham, Genoa's vice president of sales and marketing. "Many developers of these systems are located outside of the U.S. market, and we are pleased to be taking this important step to support our growing business in these important markets."
Genoa is now represented throughout Europe by Laser 2000, a distributor that specializes in the photonics market. Laser 2000 has operations in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Sweden.
In Japan, Genoa is represented by Optiwa, a sales rep firm and also has distributorships with Kanematsu Devices, Macnica I & C Company, and Unidux. Each of these distributors covers specific groups of Japanese customers, among them NEC, Fujitsu, OpNext, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo and Furukawa.
In Korea, Genoa is now represented by CoreTech Corporation, which is based in Seoul and serves such major companies as Samsung, LG Electronics, Korea
Telecom and others.
Genoa expects to announce additional distribution relationships in additional markets within the next few months.
Genoa is a next-generation optical semiconductor company that has made fundamental breakthroughs in the design and manufacture of single-chip linear optical amplifiers. Genoa's disruptive LOA technology is expected to revolutionize the economics of major segments of the optical communications industry by permitting levels of system integration previously only enjoyed by purely electronic products.
Genoa's unique, indium-phosphide-based linear optical amplifier technology is the subject of several dozen fundamental issued or pending design and manufacturing patents. The company, with approximately 100 employees, has research, development, wafer fabrication and manufacturing facilities at its Fremont, CA, headquarters, and in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Funding to date is approximately $95 million; investors include August Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Global Crossing Ltd, Investor Growth Capital, Levensohn Capital, Meritech Capital Partners, Oak Investment Partners, and WorldCom Ventures. Genoa was founded in 1998 by leaders in semiconductor lasers and optical amplifiers.
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