About Gemfire
Gemfire is a Technology company based in Fremont (United States) founded in 1995, and was acquired by Ignis in November 2009. Planar semiconductor processing is utilized for high-performance optical components. Gemfire has raised $37 million across 1 funding round from investors including Bank of Scotland, Centaurus Capital and Loudwater Investment Partners. Gemfire has completed 1 acquisition, including Nova Crystals. Its focus areas include Semiconductors, Photonics, Photonic Integrated Circuits and Material Platforms. Its competitors include CoreOptics, Crux Photonics and Antario Corporation; 1 of its 3 listed competitors has raised funding.
Company details
Gemfire Corporation was founded in 1995 in Fremont, United States, within the optics and telecommunications sector. Planar semiconductor-type processing technology was applied to develop optical solutions for system integrators, including telecom and specialty components. Operations centered on high-performance product families. In 2009, a merger with Ignis Optics occurred, with Ignis as the surviving entity and Gemfire contributing 48 percent to its structure.
- Headquarters Fremont, United States
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsTechnology
- Website gemfire.com
- Social LinkedIn
- Acquired by Ignis (Nov 2009)
- Total Equity Funding$37M (USD)
in 1 rounds
- Latest Funding Round$37M (USD), Series C
Jun 2007
- InvestorsBank of Scotland
& 4 more
- Investments & Acquisitions
- Acquired byIgnis
(Nov 2009)
Funding Insights of Gemfire
Gemfire has successfully raised a total of $37M through 1 strategic funding round. The most recent funding activity was a Series C round of $37 million completed in June 2007. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $37M
- Total Rounds 1
- Last Round Series C — $37M
- First Round $37M
(Jun 2007)
- Investors Count 4
All 1 funding rounds of Gemfire with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2007 | $37M | Series C | – | Loudwater Investment Partners |
5 investors in total: 5 institutional.
Investors in Gemfire
Gemfire has secured backing from 5 investors, including institutional and venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Bank of Scotland, Centaurus Capital and Loudwater Investment Partners.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| centaurus-capital.com | ||||
Healthcare sector investments are managed through private equity strategies. | pa-investors.com | Palo Alto, United States | ||
Bank of Scotland is recognized for providing comprehensive banking and financial services. | bankofscotland.co.uk | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| loudwaterpartners.com | ||||
| ignis.com |
Investor details for Gemfire
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Investments & Acquisitions by Gemfire
Gemfire has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 1 company. Notable acquisitions include Nova Crystals.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Optoelectronic components for fiber optics and LEDs are manufactured. | novacrystals.com | San Jose, United States | 1998 | Apr 2004 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for Gemfire
Acquired stakes, deal sources and the complete acquisition history require an active premium plan.
- Acquired stakes
- Deal sources
- Complete history
- Exports
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Gemfire
4 dated milestones of Gemfire across 14 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Gemfire is founded.
- Acquisition Acquires Nova Crystals.
- Funding First funding round of $37.0M.
- Exit Acquired by Ignis.
Competitors of Gemfire
Gemfire has 3 listed competitors in our database, 1 of them funded. They include CoreOptics, Crux Photonics and Antario Corporation.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| coreoptics.com | 2001 | San Jose, United States | $90.5M | Designer of ICs and Transponder Modules for high speed optical networking applications | ||
| cruxphotonics.com | 2016 | Dover, United States | Specializes in photonic integrated circuits and wireless sensors for structural health monitoring. | |||
| antariocorp.com | 2014 | Milpitas, United States | Produces high-quality photonics products with a competitive edge in the market. |
Detailed competitors of Gemfire
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Top companies in Optical & Photonics Technologies
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Gemfire (Optical & Photonics Technologies) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cloud-based network management software is provided for infrastructure planning. | 1992 | Hanover, New Hampshire, United States | USD 4.77 B | 8,660 | ||
Fiber lasers are developed and supplied for industrial applications. | 2000 | Vancouver, Washington, United States | USD 203.65 M | USD 261.33 M | 800 | |
Photon-based universal quantum computers are developed for error correction. | 2015 | Palo Alto, California, United States | USD 2.77 B | USD 1.04 M | 672 |
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Frequently Asked Questions about Gemfire
Gemfire was founded in 1995 and raised its 1st funding round 12 years after it was founded.
Gemfire is headquartered in Fremont, United States. It is registered at Fremont, California, United States.
Gemfire is a funded company, having raised a total of $37M across 1 funding round to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series C of $37M, raised on Jun 2007.
Gemfire Corporation was founded in 1995 in Fremont, United States, within the optics and telecommunications sector. Planar semiconductor-type processing technology was applied to develop optical solutions for system integrators, including telecom and specialty components. Operations centered on high-performance product families. In 2009, a merger with Ignis Optics occurred, with Ignis as the surviving entity and Gemfire contributing 48 percent to its structure.
Gemfire's top competitors include CoreOptics, Crux Photonics and Antario Corporation.
Gemfire has made 1 acquisition, including Nova Crystals.
Gemfire has 5 investors. Key investors include Bank of Scotland, Centaurus Capital, Loudwater Investment Partners, Palo Alto Investors, and Ignis.
Yes. Gemfire was acquired by Ignis in November 2009.