Marvell to buy optical tech maker Lumentum in $115b deal

Marvell Technology Inc. has announced its intent to acquire Lumentum Holdings Inc. for a staggering $115 billion, marking one of the most significant deals in the tech industry. Lumentum shareholders will receive 4.5 Marvell shares for each share they hold, valuing the stock at approximately $1,132 per share, a 23.9% increase from its previous unaffected price.

Marvell specializes in networking equipment for data centers and telecommunications infrastructure, with many of its products utilizing fiber-optic cables for data transmission. Lumentum, conversely, manufactures components for fiber-optic network devices, including lasers and optical amplifiers.

The acquisition will enable Marvell to gain more control over its supply chain, potentially allowing for tighter alignment of upstream components' design with its requirements. Optical networks utilize laser emitters to generate light for data transmission, and Lumentum offers a range of lasers based on indium phosphide, a semiconducting material that generates light more efficiently than silicon.

Modulated lasers are used to link servers to data centers' optical networks, while continuous wave lasers power longer-range network links. Lumentum also manufactures single-mode optical amplifiers, which enhance laser signals traveling through long-haul carrier networks to minimize data transmission errors.

Notably, Lumentum has developed a laser optimized for co-packaged optics, or CPO, chips. These chips allow servers to connect to data centers' networks without the need for expensive transceivers. CPO technology has become a crucial focus of Marvell's growth strategy. The company's chip design business can assist customers in integrating CPO modules into their custom artificial intelligence accelerators.

While Lumentum's focus isn't solely on lasers, it also produces analog photodetectors using indium gallium arsenide, enabling customers to monitor their optical networks for errors. Additionally, Lumentum sells optical circuit switches, which coordinate the flow of traffic using tiny mirrors, eliminating the need to convert data into electrical signals and thus saving power.

The deal is expected to bring Lumentum into the industrial equipment market, providing Marvell with a presence in this sector. After the acquisition, Marvell's CEO, Matt Murphy, will lead the combined company, with Lumentum's CEO, Michael Hurlston, serving on the board alongside two of Lumentum's directors. Marvell anticipates the deal to be accretive to its adjusted earnings per share within a year of closing and aims to achieve more than $1 billion in annual run-rate cost savings, along with accelerated revenue growth. The combined company's total addressable market is estimated to reach $550 billion.