IOWN AI Fund Makes First Investment in iPronics to Advance Next-Generation AI Infrastructure and Build the IOWN Ecosystem

Participation in a $125 Million Series B alongside NVIDIA and Other Investors to Support the Commercialization of Optical Networking for Next-Generation AI Infrastructure

Tokyo, Japan, September 9, 2026 — NTT, Inc. (NTT) today announced that the IOWN AI Fund (the "Fund"), whose formation was announced on June 10, 2026, has made its first investment in iPronics, a developer of programmable optical networking technology for AI data centers.

The Fund participated in iPronics' $125 million Series B funding round, which included NVIDIA and other new and existing investors. iPronics plans to use the proceeds to accelerate commercial deployment of its products, scale its operations and expand into global markets.

As the Fund's first investment, this investment reflects its focus on photonics technologies and optical switching, both of which are core investment areas. NTT views the investment as a first step toward bringing together leading photonics technologies from around the world with the technology and business capabilities of the NTT Group and its global partners, thereby advancing next-generation AI infrastructure and building the IOWN ecosystem.

About iPronics and the Rationale for the Investment

iPronics develops a programmable optical circuit switching (OCS) platform for AI data centers, built on silicon photonics. Its OCS technology uses software to dynamically reconfigure optical connectivity within and across racks, enabling flexible network configurations tailored to AI workloads. This is designed to improve GPU utilization, reduce energy consumption and simplify network architecture.

As AI clusters continue to scale, the bandwidth, power efficiency and flexibility of the networks connecting GPUs are becoming as critical to AI infrastructure as GPU computing performance itself. Through programmable optical connectivity built on silicon photonics, iPronics is working to overcome the limitations of conventional copper interconnects and fixed network configurations and enable scalable, power-efficient AI infrastructure.

The IOWN AI Fund chose to make its first investment in iPronics because its technology has the potential to enable high-capacity, power-efficient and flexible next-generation AI infrastructure and is closely aligned with IOWN's focus on optical technologies and ecosystem development.

NTT also regards the participation of leading investors, including NVIDIA, as strong external validation of iPronics' technology and commercial potential.

NTT's co-packaged optics switch, currently under development, shortens electrical interconnects inside the switch, reducing power consumption while preserving the flexibility of packet processing. In contrast, iPronics' optical circuit switch can deliver further network power savings by directly switching optical paths without converting optical signals into the electrical domain.

Optical circuit switches have slower switching speeds than co-packaged optics switches, but are well suited to sustained, high-capacity traffic in AI workloads that does not require frequent path reconfiguration. Co-packaged optics switches, by contrast, provide high-speed switching and are essential for applications that require rapid, flexible packet forwarding in response to changing traffic conditions. The two technologies therefore have distinct, complementary characteristics. Combining them according to their respective strengths is expected to improve the efficiency of data center networks as a whole and contribute to the expansion of the IOWN ecosystem.

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About NTT

NTT is a leading global technology innovator, providing a broad range of services to both consumers and businesses. As a mobile operator and provider of infrastructure, networks, and services, NTT is dedicated to promoting a sustainable future through cutting-edge innovations. Our portfolio includes business consulting, AI-powered solutions, application services, global networks, cybersecurity, data center and edge computing, all supported by our deep global industry expertise. Generating over $90 billion in revenue and employing 340,000 professionals, we allocate 30% of our annual profits to fundamental research and development. With operations spanning more than 70 countries and regions, our clients include over 75% of Fortune Global 100 companies, alongside thousands of enterprises, government organizations, and millions of consumers.