I think it is very likely that the burn rate will be supported initially with new product development NRE from the customers who are taking the next step to have POET build product ready prototypes using their respective electronic providers.

As per DL: we are working with those electronic providers in many cases to ensure compatibility of our optical engines with the existing electronics that they’re currently using."

I think about it this way:

We know that the first products for Datacom and Telecom will be for the receive optical engines. So that would be the receive part of the multi-chip module that has to be designed to fit with the electrical die and electrical interconnections of the existing product line of the customer. 

So back to the financial support required for design and tapeout of POET’s optical engine to meet the requirements of each specific customer. I don’t think we are talking about big dollars here. I am guessing maybe $200k per design. I don’t think they would be looking for big dollars that would give any customer exclusivity or discount for a given time frame. Just enough dollars to support the work required to meet each customers design needs. This is what I  am thinking but regardless POET has built a company on a shoe string budget and have attracted some really high level  people who  feel  secure enough about the future with the company and are probably very pumped to be part of this new  technology platform.

And recognize that we are talking about major customers as per the public discloser provided in the Sept presentation.

Active qualification for co-development or contract development is in process with 3 major companies (all under non-disclosure)