GlobalFoundries and Marvell expand collaboration for next-generation optical connectivity

Rhea-AI Summary

GlobalFoundries (GFS) and Marvell (MRVL) have expanded a multi-year agreement to increase capacity for GF’s silicon germanium (SiGe) technology at its Burlington, Vermont facility to support growing demand for next-generation optical connectivity in AI and cloud data centers.

The collaboration targets high-performance SiGe used in pluggable optical transceivers, Near-Packaged Optics (NPO) and Co-packaged Optics (CPO), and is expected to add significant capacity for Marvell’s requirements. GF’s SiGe portfolio currently supports 200G-per-lane optical links and has a roadmap for higher-speed generations as bandwidth needs grow. The deal builds on more than a decade of joint work between the companies.

Positive

• Expanded multi-year agreement to increase SiGe capacity at GF’s Burlington, Vermont facility for Marvell
• GF’s SiGe technology already supports 200G-per-lane optical connectivity with a roadmap to higher speeds
• Agreement extends a decade-long collaboration in advanced optical networking between GF and Marvell

Negative

• None.

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+5.29% vs previous close $241.86 last price 1.0x rel. volume Open Argus

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Market Reaction – MRVL

$234.40 $247.75 Day Range

$217.36B Market Cap

Following this news, MRVL has gained 5.29%, reflecting a notable positive market reaction. Our momentum scanner has triggered 67 alerts so far, indicating high trading interest and price volatility. The stock is currently trading at $241.86.

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Market Context

MRVL's +3.61% pre-headline change coincided with three same-direction peers, placing the expanded op...

Analysis

MRVL's +3.61% pre-headline change coincided with three same-direction peers, placing the expanded optical-connectivity capacity agreement within a broader semiconductor-sector move.

Key Figures

Agreement term: Multi-year Optical connectivity: 200G-per-lane Collaboration history: More than a decade

Agreement term

Multi-year

Expanded GF-Marvell capacity agreement

Optical connectivity

200G-per-lane

Current GF SiGe technology support

Collaboration history

More than a decade

GF-Marvell collaboration

Historical Context

2 past events · Latest: Aug 04

2 events

1. Aug 04

   AI memory update

   24h Move

   +12.8%

   Introduced Photonic Fabric optical shared-memory technology targeting AI infrastructure memory and throughput constraints

2. Aug 27

   Q2 earnings report

   24h Move

   -10.3%

   Reported record revenue and raised fiscal 2027 and 2028 outlooks amid AI demand

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

silicon germanium, optical transceivers, co-packaged optics, silicon photonics

4 terms

silicon germanium technical

"increase capacity for GF’s silicon germanium (SiGe) technology"

A semiconductor alloy made by mixing silicon and germanium to combine the strengths of both materials. Engineers use silicon germanium in electronic chips to boost speed, improve power efficiency, and handle high‑frequency signals—think of it as blending two metals to get a lighter, stronger alloy for specific jobs. It matters to investors because its use affects demand, manufacturing complexity, cost structures, and competitive positioning across chipmakers and their suppliers.

optical transceivers technical

"used in next-generation pluggable optical transceivers"

Optical transceivers are small hardware modules that convert electrical signals into pulses of light and back again so data can travel over fiber-optic cables; think of them as translators that let computers and network equipment “talk” over long distances at very high speed. They matter to investors because demand, supply constraints, and price changes for these components directly affect the growth and profitability of companies serving data centers, telecom networks, and cloud services, similar to how a shortage of car engines would impact auto makers.

co-packaged optics technical

"Near-Packaged Optics (NPO) and Co-packaged Optics (CPO)"

Co-packaged optics are optical components—lasers and fiber interfaces—physically packaged together with a network switch’s main processing chip so light-based data links sit much closer to the chip instead of traveling over long electrical traces. For investors, this matters because it can dramatically cut power use, boost data speed and density, and lower system costs in large data centers and telecom equipment, much like moving a power outlet next to a heavy appliance to avoid long, inefficient extension cords.

silicon photonics technical

"co-integrate SiGe, silicon photonics and advanced packaging"

Silicon photonics is the technology that uses tiny structures etched into silicon chips to generate, control and detect light for moving data and sensing, essentially putting optical fiber functions onto a computer chip. For investors, it matters because it can dramatically increase data speed and energy efficiency in data centers, telecom networks and advanced sensors, potentially lowering costs and enabling new products much like replacing many metal wires with faster, low-power optical highways.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Multi-year strategic agreement increases capacity for high-performance SiGe technology to support growing AI infrastructure demand

MALTA, N.Y., Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) (GF) and Marvell Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRVL), a leader in data infrastructure semiconductor solutions, today announced an expanded multi-year agreement to increase capacity for GF’s silicon germanium (SiGe) technology at its Burlington, Vermont, facility to support growing demand for next-generation optical connectivity.

Modern AI data centers operate as distributed compute systems, where performance depends not only on accelerators, but also on the high-speed interconnects that move data between them. As AI systems scale, moving data efficiently is becoming increasingly critical to overall performance. The expanded collaboration between GF and Marvell will increase capacity for high-performance SiGe technology used in next-generation pluggable optical transceivers, Near-Packaged Optics (NPO) and Co-packaged Optics (CPO).

The expanded agreement builds on existing production and is expected to add significant capacity to support Marvell’s growing requirements.

GF’s SiGe technology portfolio provides the high-frequency performance, signal integrity and power efficiency required for advanced optical networking applications. Its current technology supports 200G-per-lane optical connectivity, with a roadmap designed to address higher-speed generations as AI and cloud data center bandwidth requirements continue to grow. GF has manufactured advanced SiGe technology for over a decade and continues to co-integrate SiGe, silicon photonics and advanced packaging for new optical connectivity architectures including NPO and CPO.

“AI is fundamentally changing the way data centers are built, and connectivity is becoming increasingly critical to unlocking the performance of these systems,” said Robb Johnson, Vice President, Foundry Technology, Marvell. “As the industry moves toward higher-bandwidth optical architectures, including NPO and CPO, Marvell is investing aggressively to lead this transition. Our expanded collaboration with GF will help ensure we have the SiGe technology and manufacturing capacity to support the significant growth we see ahead.”

“SiGe is where GF’s decades of high-performance radio frequency and analog leadership translate directly into breakthrough optical performance,” said Shankaran Janardhanan, senior vice president of Photonics & RF businesses at GF. “This agreement reinforces our long-standing relationship with Marvell and reflects the critical role SiGe technology plays in enabling high-speed optical networking for AI infrastructure. We will continue investing in our technology roadmap and manufacturing capabilities both in the U.S. and around the world to support our customers' future growth.”

The agreement builds on more than a decade of collaboration between GF and Marvell and reflects the increasingly important role optical networking technologies play in enabling AI and cloud infrastructure at scale.

About GF
GlobalFoundries (GF) is a leading manufacturer of essential semiconductors, enabling AI at scale from the cloud to the physical world. Through deep partnerships with customers, GF delivers differentiated, power-efficient and high-performance solutions for automotive, aerospace and defense, data center, smart mobile devices, internet of things and other high-growth markets. With global manufacturing operations across the U.S., Europe and Asia, GF is a trusted and holistic technology partner for customers around the world. GF’s talented, global team remains focused every day on security, longevity and sustainability. For more information, visit www.gf.com.

Forward-looking information
This news release may contain forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. GF undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect actual outcomes, unless required by law.

Media Contact:
Erica McGill
erica.mcgill@gf.com

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What types of products will use the expanded SiGe capacity from GlobalFoundries for Marvell?

The increased SiGe capacity will support Marvell solutions used in next-generation pluggable optical transceivers, Near-Packaged Optics (NPO) and Co-packaged Optics (CPO), which are key architectures for high-speed optical networking in AI and cloud data centers.

Where will GlobalFoundries manufacture the additional SiGe technology for this agreement?

The additional SiGe technology capacity for Marvell will be provided from GlobalFoundries’ Burlington, Vermont manufacturing facility.

How does GlobalFoundries describe its broader plans for SiGe and optical connectivity?

GlobalFoundries said it will continue investing in its SiGe technology roadmap and manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. and globally, and it continues to co-integrate SiGe, silicon photonics and advanced packaging for new optical connectivity architectures including NPO and CPO.