POET Technologies (NASDAQ: POET) appoints two directors, one resigns

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

POET Technologies Inc. appointed Dr. Bardia Pezeshki and Jean F. Rankin to its Board of Directors, effective August 1, 2026, each serving until the next annual shareholder meeting or until a successor is elected or appointed. Long-serving director Jean-Louis Malinge resigned for personal reasons, effective the same date, after about nine years on the board.

In connection with their appointments, Dr. Pezeshki and Ms. Rankin each received 21,460 restricted stock units (RSUs) under POET’s 2026 Omnibus Incentive Plan, scheduled to vest on June 26, 2027. POET designs photonic integrated circuits, light sources and optical modules for artificial intelligence systems and hyperscale data centers using its Optical Interposer platform.

Filing Explained

The filing describes the two director RSU awards as granted with vesting scheduled for June 26, 2027, so it establishes future equity compensation rather than completed share issuance; it provides no present share-count or dilution amount.

Key Figures

RSUs per new director: 21,460 RSUs RSU vesting date: June 26, 2027 Number of new directors appointed: 2 directors +2 more

5 metrics

RSUs per new director 21,460 RSUs Restricted stock units awarded to each of Dr. Pezeshki and Ms. Rankin upon joining the board

RSU vesting date June 26, 2027 Vesting date for RSUs granted to the two new directors

Number of new directors appointed 2 directors Dr. Bardia Pezeshki and Jean F. Rankin appointed to the Board of Directors

Service length of resigning director nine years Jean-Louis Malinge served on POET’s board for about nine years

Optical engine data rates 800G, 1.6T and above Speeds of POET’s high-speed optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and data centers

Key Terms

restricted stock units, 2026 Omnibus Incentive Plan, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), hyperscale data centers, +1 more

5 terms

restricted stock units financial

"Both directors have been awarded 21,460 RSUs which will vest"

Restricted stock units are a type of company reward where employees are promised shares of stock, but they only fully own these shares after meeting certain conditions, like staying with the company for a set time. They matter because they can become valuable assets and are often used to motivate employees to help the company succeed.

2026 Omnibus Incentive Plan financial

"The RSUs were granted subject to provisions of the Company’s 2026 Omnibus Incentive Plan"

Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) technical

"the designer and developer of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), light sources"

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are tiny chips that route and process light instead of electricity, combining multiple optical components on a single piece of material much like an electronic circuit does with transistors and wires. They matter to investors because PICs can enable faster data transmission, lower power use and smaller devices across sectors such as telecom, data centers and sensors, creating potential cost savings, new products and growth opportunities for companies that adopt or make them.

hyperscale data centers technical

"to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers"

Hyperscale data centers are enormous facilities that house thousands of computer servers to store and process vast amounts of digital information. They operate at a massive scale to support cloud computing, streaming services, and online platforms, making them crucial for handling the growing digital demands of businesses and consumers. For investors, these centers represent key infrastructure that enables digital innovation and often drive significant technological growth.

forward-looking information regulatory

"This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements""

Forward-looking information are predictions, plans, estimates or expectations about a company’s future performance, results or events, such as sales forecasts, project timelines, or anticipated costs. It matters to investors because these statements guide expectations but rely on assumptions and uncertain factors—like a weather forecast for a business—so investors should treat them as informed guesses rather than guarantees and consider the risks and possible changes behind the numbers.

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

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FAQ

What board changes did POET (symbol POET) announce in August 2026?

POET Technologies added Dr. Bardia Pezeshki and Jean F. Rankin to its Board, effective August 1, 2026, while Jean-Louis Malinge resigned for personal reasons the same day, after serving on the board for about nine years.

What RSU grants did the new POET (POET) directors receive?

Each new director, Dr. Pezeshki and Ms. Rankin, was awarded 21,460 restricted stock units (RSUs). These RSUs were granted under POET’s 2026 Omnibus Incentive Plan and are scheduled to vest on June 26, 2027, in line with the company’s director compensation program.

Who is Dr. Bardia Pezeshki, the new POET (POET) director?

Dr. Bardia Pezeshki is a technology executive and entrepreneur in optical communications and semiconductor devices. He founded and led Avicena Tech, Kaiam Corporation and Santur Corporation, and previously held senior R&D roles at SDL Inc. and IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center.

What experience does new POET (POET) director Jean F. Rankin bring?

Jean F. Rankin is an experienced public company director and former senior legal executive with expertise in corporate governance, IP, M&A and securities regulation. She has served on the boards of InterDigital, Inc. and Resonant, Inc., and was EVP, Secretary and General Counsel of LSI Corporation.

What markets does POET Technologies (POET) focus on with its products?

POET focuses on artificial intelligence systems and hyperscale data centers, offering high-speed optical engines, light source products and custom optical modules. Its patented Optical Interposer platform enables integration of electronic and photonic devices on a single chip for communication, computing and sensing applications.

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of August 2026

Commission File Number: 000-55135

POET TECHNOLOGIES INC.
(Translation of registrant's name into English)

120 Eglinton Avenue East, Ste 1107
Toronto, Ontario, M4P 1E2, Canada
(Address of principal executive office)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F [ X ]      Form 40-F [   ]

On August 3, 2026, the Registrant issued a press release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

(c) Exhibit 99.1. Press release dated August 3, 2026

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

		POET TECHNOLOGIES INC.
		(Registrant)
Date: August 3, 2026		/s/ THOMAS MIKA
		Thomas Mika
		Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT 99.1

POET Technologies Appoints Dr. Bardia Pezeshki and Jean F. Rankin to Board of Directors as Long-serving Director, Jean-Louis Malinge Resigns

TORONTO, Aug. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), light sources and optical modules for the AI and data center markets, today announced the appointments of Dr. Bardia Pezeshki and Jean F. Rankin to its Board of Directors, effective August 1, 2026. The new directors will serve until the Company’s next annual meeting of shareholders or until their successors are duly elected or appointed. In addition, the Company accepted the resignation, for personal reasons, of Jean-Louis Malinge, who has served on the board of POET Technologies since 2017. Mr. Malinge’s resignation was effective August 1, 2026.

Dr. Pezeshki is a technology executive, entrepreneur and recognized innovator in optical communications, semiconductor devices and advanced interconnect technologies. Most recently, he served as Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer of Avicena Tech, where he pioneered micro-LED-based optical interconnect solutions for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing systems. He previously founded and led Kaiam Corporation and Santur Corporation, commercializing advanced optical transceivers and tunable laser technologies for data center and telecommunications applications. Earlier in his career, Dr. Pezeshki held senior research and development positions at SDL Inc. and IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Harvey Mudd College.

Ms. Rankin is an experienced public company director and former senior legal executive with extensive expertise in corporate governance, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation and executive compensation. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of InterDigital, Inc., where she chairs the Compensation Committee and is a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee. She previously served on the Board of Directors of Resonant, Inc., including as Chair of its Compensation Committee and as a member of its Audit and Nominating and Governance Committees. Ms. Rankin also served as Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of LSI Corporation and Agere Systems Inc., following senior legal roles at Lucent Technologies and AT&T. She holds a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction from the University of Virginia.

POET’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Suresh Venkatesan, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Bardia and Jean to POET’s Board of Directors. Bardia brings exceptional technical and commercial expertise in photonics, optical interconnects and semiconductor innovation, together with a proven record of building and scaling technology businesses. Jean brings extensive public company, legal and governance experience, including significant expertise in intellectual property, strategic transactions and executive oversight. Their complementary experience will be highly valuable as POET advances the commercialization of its technology and expands its position in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence and data center markets.”

Dr. Venkatesan continued, “On behalf of the Company and myself, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Jean-Louis for his tireless service on our board of directors over the past nine years. As an entrepreneur turned venture capitalist, Jean-Louis understood better than most the challenges of founding a company, turning an idea into new technology, and maintaining a singular vision of what that company could become. Our board, management team, employees, shareholders and I owe him a profound debt of gratitude for helping make POET the company it is today.”

RSU Grant
In connection with their appointments to the Board of Directors, Dr. Pezeshki and Ms. Rankin will each receive restricted stock units (“RSUs”) in accordance with the Company’s established director compensation program and the provisions of the Company’s omnibus incentive plan. Both directors have been awarded 21,460 RSUs which will vest on June 26, 2027. The RSUs were granted subject to provisions of the Company’s 2026 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

About POET Technologies Inc.
POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical engines, light source products and custom optical modules to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers. POET's photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET's Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems. POET's Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges across a broad range of communication, computing and sensing applications. POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Singapore, Penang, Malaysia and Shenzhen, China. More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com.

Media Relations Contact:
Adrian Brijbassi
Adrian.brijbassi@poet.tech Company Contact:
Thomas R. Mika, EVP & CFO
tm@poet.tech

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as "advances", "significant”, "commercialization", "expands" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include, without limitation, the Company's expectations with respect to its ability to advance customer and prospective customer relationships, its intentions to ramp production, its deployment of capital, its ability to secure supply chain partnerships, to increases sales, recruit new staff, and the Company’s ability overall to advance its business objectives. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, potential changes in the Company’s capital needs, changes in the technological or macroeconomic environment that results in demand for the Companies products being less than expected, changes in production requirements, inability to source and install capital equipment, inability to find and recruit new staff or to qualify and deliver its products on time, and risks that the Company will not be able to identify or consummate suitable acquisitions and/or partnerships and risks relating to the integration and success of any acquisitions and/or partnerships that are consummated.

For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Company's filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Prospective investors in the Company's securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information and statements except as required by applicable securities laws.

120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 - Fax: 416-322-5075

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

1 document

Press Releases

• EX-99.1 PRESS RELEASE 10.3 KB