You can take the name out of the acquirer but you can't take away its acquisitive instincts. Before it changed its name to JDSU, JDS Uniphase was one of the most active acquirers during the boom. While the company will never return to its frenzied dealmaking ways, the electronics giant is pursuing a steady acquisitions strategy now that is good for startups and venture capitalists.

For PicoLight and its backers, its $115 million sale to JDS announced this week is decent news. Founded in 1995, the company has raised roughly $120 million in venture funding that stretched out over eight rounds. Backers including Coral Capital Management, BA Venture Partners, and Vesbridge Partners.

Last month, JDS acquired Casabyte Inc., a provider of monitoring software for mobile network operators, for an undisclosed price. The PicoLight deal builds upon JDSU's 2005 Acterna acquisition for $760 million that moved the company into optical networking. More acquisitions around that segment are possible for JDSU.

For more on JDSU's deal for PicoLight, see:
TechConfidential
EE Times

Tags: jdsu, picolight, vc, venture+capital, m&a