June 8, 2005 Chicago, IL -- Metconnex, a supplier of wavelength selective switch (WSS) modules for use in reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs), today announced the closing of a $5.8 million (CDN $7.5M) equity and operating capital financing round. The company says the investment will enable it to deepen its relationships with strategic suppliers and contract manufacturers, continue to grow its marketing and sales team, and further expand its WSS portfolio.

Participants in the round included the company's existing international syndicate of Skypoint Capital (Ottawa, Canada), Vesbridge Partners (Boston, MA), Innovacom (Paris, France), and BDC Venture Capital (Montreal, Canada), as well as a new member, Comerica (Detroit, MI).

"With over 15 successful customer evaluations in North America, Europe, and Asia, and a cost-effective, manufacturable platform, Metconnex is ready to capitalize on demands for WSS-based ROADMs reinforced here at Supercomm," declared Peter Becke, Metconnex's CEO. "We are extremely pleased to have the continued support of a strong global syndicate as we enter our next phase of growth."

Through its patent-pending hybrid integration of planar lightwave circuits (HI-PLC), the company says it provides platforms optimized for a range of ROADM requirements. The company says its 1x4 WSS provides a cost-competitive replacement for existing 1x1 Wavelength Blocker solutions, with the added benefit of multi-degree connectivity, as demanded by service providers. The company says its 1x9 WSS is available in the same compact form factor as the aforementioned device, and can be used to address higher port-count, colored and colorless ROADM applications.

"The manufacturability and extensibility of Metconnex's platform is unmatched in the industry. Metconnex has emerged as a frontrunner in the growing ROADM/WSS market," contends William Sweeney, senior vice president of Comerica's technology and life sciences division. "Our desire to develop a financial partnership with Metconnex was driven by their readiness to capture design wins this year and deliver volume driven by the growing carrier and MSO demand."