Gemtek Partners With Starman On U.S. Manufacturing Joint Venture To Target Hyperscaler Optical Interconnects

Gemtek Technology Co., Ltd. and Starman New Photonics, a Starman Holding company, today announced a strategic partnership under which Gemtek initially plans to invest $15M and Starman plans to invest $30M to form a joint venture to manufacture optical transceivers in the United States, targeting optical interconnect opportunities in hyperscale data centers.

The announcement follows Starman Optical, Inc., a silicon photonics-focused optical company under Starman, entering into a definitive merger agreement with renowned action camera brand GoPro, Inc. to acquire a 90% equity stake in GoPro for $285M in cash, further advancing a significant step in Starman's strategy to build a leading optical technology and manufacturing platform.

The partnership brings together Gemtek's decades of mass production experience and optical communication technology, along with advanced photonic chip and laser technology through Starman's partnership with New Photonics, to establish U.S. production of next-generation optical transceiver modules at scale. At the same time, this initiative complements Gemtek’s global manufacturing footprint, strengthening geographic diversification and overall supply-chain resilience.

“Gemtek is pleased to contribute our optical transceiver expertise and automation-driven manufacturing capabilities to this partnership,” said Howard Chen, Chairman and Founder of Gemtek. “Our objective is to enable efficient, scalable production in the United States while maintaining the quality and cost competitiveness required by global customers.”

Initial production will focus on next-generation 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers to meet growing demand from AI data centers and hyperscale computing operators (Hyperscalers). The partnership will establish a reliable U.S. manufacturing source for these critical components, with plans to scale production and expand into future generations of high-speed optical technology.

"The rapid growth of AI is creating enormous demand for advanced optical technology, but much of the manufacturing remains overseas," said Charles Tebele, Chief Executive Officer of Starman Holding. "We are bringing together the technology, expertise, and manufacturing capabilities needed to change that. Our partnership with Gemtek is a major step toward producing these critical components here in the United States and establishing Starman as a leader in American optical technology."

The partnership will bring Gemtek's manufacturing and optical communication expertise to Starman New Photonics' existing facility in Warren, New Jersey, where an advanced clean room has already been established. This joint venture facility will collaborate with Gemtek’s advanced optical manufacturing plants in Taiwan and Vietnam. As an existing facility, it only requires the setup of equipment, with mass production expected to begin in as early as six months.

About Gemtek
Founded in 1988, Gemtek Technology Co., Ltd. is a leading provider of communication technology solutions for data centers, service providers, and global brands. Its portfolio includes high-speed optical transceivers, fiber-optic networks, Wi-Fi, 5G, and cloud and edge AI solutions. Combining optoelectronic integration, product innovation, and advanced manufacturing capabilities, Gemtek continues to expand its high-speed optical interconnect technologies and solutions.

About Starman New Photonics
Starman New Photonics, a Starman Holding company, is a U.S.-based optical photonics company focused on the development and domestic manufacturing of advanced optical transceivers and related photonics technologies. Starman Holding is a diversified holding company with interests across technology, consumer brands, and optics and imaging.