Acquisition of Mesh Optical, maker of optical transceivers, accelerates push into space-based data centers

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX [AFP]
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX [AFP]

Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX is acquiring Mesh Optical Technologies, a startup developing optical communications technology, after US regulators moved swiftly to clear the deal.

The Federal Trade Commission determined that SpaceX's acquisition of Mesh Optical posed no significant threat to competition and approved the deal following an expedited review, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

Mesh Optical was founded by engineers who previously worked on laser-link communications technology at SpaceX.

The company develops optical transceivers that use light to transmit and receive data between data centers. Its technology offers higher power efficiency and lower latency than existing solutions.

Mesh Optical raised $50 million in February in a round led by Thrive Capital. The company has expressed interest in applying its technology in space.

SpaceX earlier acquired Anysphere, the developer of the AI coding app Cursor, for $60 billion, a move aimed at bolstering its coding capabilities, which had been seen as lagging behind rivals.

The company is also focused on building data centers in Tennessee and Mississippi.


notstrong@heraldcorp.com