Aria Networks, a Santa Clara–based data center networking startup emerging from stealth, has made its first public announcement with the launch of a new Ethernet switching portfolio built around 1.6TbE systems powered by Broadcom’s Tomahawk 6 silicon, targeting the rapidly evolving requirements of large-scale AI clusters.
The company frames the launch against a broader architectural shift underway in AI infrastructure, as traditional cloud networking models give way to performance-optimized fabrics designed for sustained, high-duty-cycle workloads. Aria’s approach centers on standard Ethernet rather than proprietary fabrics, with an emphasis on interoperability across scale-out, scale-up, scale-across, and front-end networks. The company says its designs remain accelerator-agnostic, supporting NVIDIA GPUs, AMD accelerators, Google TPUs, and custom AI silicon within a common fabric.
Aria’s initial portfolio includes multiple Tomahawk 6 configurations, spanning both air-cooled and liquid-cooled systems. A flagship 2U liquid-cooled platform delivers 64 OSFP ports operating at 1.6TbE using 200G SerDes, with initial customer shipments scheduled to begin in February. In parallel, Aria outlined plans for a 128 x 800GbE system based on a native 1,024 x 100G SerDes configuration, eliminating gearbox components that are commonly used during the industry’s transition from 100G to 200G electrical interfaces.
• Introduces 1.6TbE Ethernet systems based on Broadcom Tomahawk 6
• Launches a 2U, 64-port OSFP liquid-cooled platform using 200G SerDes
• Plans a 128 x 800GbE design using native 100G SerDes without gearboxes
• Targets simplified two-tier topologies supporting clusters beyond 32,000 accelerators
• Positions standard Ethernet as the foundation for large-scale AI fabrics
“Proprietary fabrics are a thing of the past. With its 1.6 Tbps launch, combined with a telemetry-centric software architecture, Aria Networks is proving that the highest-performance AI networks on the planet are being built on a foundation of open, scalable Ethernet such as Broadcom’s Tomahawk 6 switch series,” said Hasan Siraj, Vice President of Product Marketing, Core Switching Group at Broadcom.
🌐 Analysis
Aria Networks was founded by Mansour Karam, who previously founded Apstra, later acquired by Juniper Networks in 2019. At Apstra, Karam helped define intent-based networking for data center operations, emphasizing closed-loop assurance, telemetry-driven automation, and vendor-agnostic design. Aria extends that philosophy down the stack, combining high-radix Ethernet hardware with a telemetry-first software layer designed to manage large fleets of modular switches as a single system. The company enters a competitive landscape shaped by Broadcom’s 102.4 Tbps-class silicon and growing hyperscaler demand for Ethernet-based AI fabrics, positioning itself as a system-level networking provider rather than a pure hardware vendor.
