OpNext Rakes In US$321 Million

OpNext Inc., which supplies active fiber-optic components and modules, said it has closed a $321 million venture-capital investment from Clarity Group, an equal partnership between Clarity Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity investment firm, and Marubeni Group, a major Japan-based trading house.

OpNext, in a statement, said it will use this capital to expand its manufacturing capacity, establish a worldwide sales and marketing team, grow its research and development program and develop new products to meet the future needs of its customers.

OpNext was formed last year from Hitachi Ltd.’s Telecommunications & Information Infrastructure Systems Group’s Fiber Optic Components business unit.

The company will be launching a line of 40 Gbps transceiver modules in 2002 that OpNext claims will offer the highest speed optical transmission available. OpNext also said it will continue to expand its range of active components and modules.

OpNext has headquarters in Eatontown, N.J., and major development and manufacturing facilities in Japan and the U.S.