The PCIe interface continues to play a vital role in AI clusters, enabling high-speed connections between GPUs, CPUs and endpoints such as Smart NICs and NVMe storage. As AI workloads become increasingly complex and large-scale, the need for faster data transmission and more efficient hardware interconnects has grown significantly. Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd.’s (CRDO) sophisticated retimer solutions address these demands by minimizing data transfer bottlenecks and improving overall system performance and connectivity.
Credo’s retimers and PCIe OSFP-XD AECs improve PCIe cabling by overcoming limits of PCB and passive cables in PCIe 6.0/7.0 systems. By placing retimers on the PCB or in the cable, they reduce insertion loss and extend reach up to seven meters for in-rack and rack-to-rack use.
Strong Retimer sales are driven by its 50G and 100G Ethernet solutions, which offer key features like MACsec encryption, gearboxing and software support. CRDO’s customers now include top AI server makers and switch vendors, highlighting strong demand in AI systems. For fiscal 2026, it anticipates robust growth as more customers transition to 100G per lane solutions and seek system-level and software expertise for complex AI architectures. The new PCIe Gen6 Retimer family, led by the 2CAN Retimer, passed PCIe compliance testing and demonstrated strong performance. Live demos at GTC, OFC and Computex with two top ODMs confirmed its capabilities.
Customer interest in PCIe Retimers is rapidly growing, with design wins anticipated in 2025 and production revenues in 2026. The company’s strength lies in its advanced SerDes technology, a customer-first approach and system-level innovation that offers improved latency, reach and power efficiency. Its PILOT telemetry software also accelerates development, boosts yields and enhances system monitoring—key advantages highlighted by customers.
Per a report from Verified Market Reports, the PCIe Retimer market size was valued at $1.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to achieve $2.8 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 11.5% (2026-2033). Credo’s retimer business is a clear engine of growth and innovation. In tandem with its Retimer business, the company is well-positioned to benefit from its Optical DSP and AEC offerings. CRDO expects its revenues to exceed $800 million in fiscal 2026, implying year-over-year growth of more than 85%.
Astera Labs (ALAB) develops semiconductor-based connectivity solutions tailored for cloud and AI infrastructure. ALAB is advancing next-gen data center infrastructure with the introduction of a PCIe 6-ready reference design based on NVIDIA Blackwell-based MGX platform that leverages Scorpio Smart Fabric Switches for AI and cloud infrastructure. It has showcased the first end-to-end PCIe 6 interoperability with NVIDIA’s Blackwell GPU and Micron’s NVMe SSD, with both Aries 6 PCIe Smart Retimer and Scorpio-P PCIe SmartFabric Switch.
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