Kopin Corporation Receives Two Major Honors at 2026 Massachusetts Manufacturing Mash-Up

The grant supports planned equipment investment to establish domestic production of MicroLED displays and optical interconnects.

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Awarded M2I2 $800K Grant to Advance Domestic AI Infrastructure Manufacturing
and
Named Manufacturer of the Year by Massachusetts Legislative Manufacturing Caucus

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kopin Corporation (NASDAQ: KOPN), a leading provider of application-specific optical systems and high-performance microdisplays for defense, training, enterprise, industrial, consumer and medical products, today announced it has been recognized with two significant honors at the 2026 Massachusetts Manufacturing Mash-Up, where the Massachusetts Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) brings together industry leaders, innovators, and ecosystem partners to celebrate manufacturing achievements. The company has been awarded funding through the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) and has also been named Manufacturer of the Year following its nomination by State Representative Kate Donaghue. The awards recognize Kopin's leadership in advanced manufacturing and its commitment to strengthening domestic technology capabilities for next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The M2I2 grant will award $800K to support Kopin’s investment at its Westborough, MA facility to establish a domestic source to manufacture its MicroLED displays and Neural I/o™ optical interconnect technology for use in AI data centers. The initiative is designed to accelerate manufacturing readiness for a high-growth technology that addresses one of the most significant challenges facing modern AI data centers: the limitations of traditional copper wire-based connectivity. Neural I/o technology, jointly developed by Kopin and Fabric.AI, enables a dramatic reduction in power consumption and space required for data centers.

Through the project, Kopin will install advanced capital equipment for laser ablation, color filter coating and developer tracks, color conversion, and chip bonding. These investments will help mature Neural I/o and MicroLED manufacturing from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 to TRL 5-6 while enabling domestic production of critical optical components, including emitter arrays, optical interfaces, and reliability processes.

"This recognition and investment by the Commonwealth reflects our advanced technical position in both MicroLED displays and optical interconnects within a very active and aggressive global landscape. It is a strong endorsement of our technology position along with the strength of our engineering and manufacturing team and validates our vision for the future of AI infrastructure," said Michael Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Kopin Corporation. "By establishing domestic manufacturing capabilities for MicroLED and Neural I/o, we are building on our decades of expertise in microdisplays while expanding into a new and strategically important category: optical interconnects for AI data centers. We are grateful for the support of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and proud to contribute to strengthening America's advanced manufacturing base."

In addition to receiving the M2I2 award, Kopin was selected as Manufacturer of the Year following nomination by State Representative Kate Donaghue. The Legislative Manufacturing Caucus, sponsored by MassMEP, recognized leading manufacturers from across the Commonwealth during the 11th Annual Manufacturing Awards Ceremony.

Established in 2014, the Legislative Manufacturing Caucus is made up of more than 70 Massachusetts legislators committed to supporting the Commonwealth's manufacturing sector through workforce training initiatives, innovation programs, and expanded apprenticeship opportunities.

"Massachusetts continues to be a major center for driving innovation and establishing advanced manufacturing capabilities for technologies and products that make a difference," added Michael Murray. "We are honored to receive these recognitions and look forward to continuing our work developing transformational technologies while creating high-value manufacturing opportunities here in the Commonwealth."

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes statements that constitute forward looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “forecast,” “guidance,” “plan,” “estimate,” “will,” “would,” “project,” “maintain,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “prospect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “believe,” “continue,” “opportunity,” “potential,” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters.

Forward looking statements are only predictions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, outside of our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward looking statements. All forward looking statements are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. We undertake no obligation to update forward looking statements except as required by law. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward looking statements are detailed in the Company’s most recent form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the planned use of grant funding, investments in manufacturing equipment and facilities, anticipated manufacturing readiness milestones, and the development and commercialization of MicroLED displays and Neural I/o™ optical interconnect technology for AI data centers. These plans and expectations are subject to risks and uncertainties, including technical development, equipment installation and qualification, manufacturing capabilities, customer adoption, market demand, and the satisfaction of any applicable grant requirements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. For additional information regarding risks and uncertainties, please refer to Kopin Corporation’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition the M2I2 award and the availability of grant funding may be subject to certain terms, conditions, milestones, reporting requirements and other obligations established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The timing and amount of funding received, as well as the scope and timing of planned project activities, may depend on satisfaction of these requirements.

About Kopin

Kopin Corporation (Nasdaq: KOPN) is a leading developer and provider of innovative display, Optical Interconnect devices and application-specific optical solutions sold as critical components and subassemblies for defense, enterprise, professional and consumer products. Kopin’s portfolio includes microdisplays, display modules, eyepiece assemblies, image projection modules and vehicle mounted and head-mounted display systems that incorporate ultra-small high-resolution Active Matrix Liquid Crystal displays (AMLCD), Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal on Silicon (FLCoS) displays, MicroLED displays (µLED) and Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays, a variety of optics and low-power ASICs and optical interconnect devices for data centers.

For more information, please visit Kopin’s website at www.kopin.com.

Kopin is a trademark of Kopin Corporation.

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For Investor Relations
Kopin Corporation
Erich Manz, Chief Financial Officer
emanz@kopin.com
508-870-5959

MZ Contact
Luke Zimmerman
MZ Group – MZ North America
KOPN@mzgroup.us
561-489-5315

Source: Kopin Corporation

Key Terms

optical interconnect technical

Optical interconnect is a way of linking electronic components using pulses of light instead of traditional electrical wires, like swapping copper cables for fiber-optic highways inside and between devices. It matters to investors because light-based connections can carry much more data, use less power and generate less heat than electrical links, which can lower operating costs and enable faster, more scalable products for data centers, telecom and high-performance computing markets.

laser ablation technical

Laser ablation is a medical technique that uses focused light energy to vaporize or destroy unwanted tissue with high precision, much like using a magnifying glass to burn a tiny spot without harming surrounding area. Investors care because the technology can enable less invasive treatments, shorter recovery times and new device sales or service revenue; clinical results, regulatory approvals and reimbursement decisions directly affect market potential and company value.

technology readiness level (trl) technical

A technology readiness level (TRL) is a numeric scale, typically 1 through 9, used to describe how mature a technology is—from initial scientific discovery (TRL 1) through laboratory and prototype testing (middle TRLs) to full demonstration in an operational environment (TRL 9). Organizations use TRLs to communicate development progress and help decide what testing, demonstration, or resources are needed next; different agencies and industries sometimes use slightly different wording for each level, so a given TRL number indicates relative maturity rather than specific performance or commercial readiness.

microled technical

MicroLED is a type of display technology that uses tiny, individual light-emitting tiles to create images with bright colors, sharp contrast, and wide viewing angles. Because of their efficiency and high quality, microLED screens can provide clearer and more vibrant visuals, which can enhance the appeal and performance of electronic devices. For investors, advancements in microLED technology may signal potential growth opportunities in the electronics and display markets.