QuantumDiamonds receives EU-backed funding for chip inspection technology
9 reported
QuantumDiamonds, a German startup spun out from the Technical University of Munich, has secured €76 million in non-dilutive funding from Germany’s federal economy ministry and the state of Bavaria, with European Commission approval. The company also raised a €15 million equity round led by VC firm World Fund, with participation from Bayern Kapital and existing investors. The startup plans to use the funding to set up a facility in Munich for producing semiconductor testing equipment, part of a previously announced $178 million investment plan. QuantumDiamonds’ technology uses quantum sensing to inspect chips for defects through all layers without destroying them, compressing a process that usually takes weeks into a two-minute inspection. CEO Kevin Berghoff said the company works with almost everyone in the chip ecosystem and that its hardware is typically paid back within a couple of months. The startup has already completed commercial deployments in Taiwan and the U.S., and plans to double its engineering team in Munich over the next 12 months.
What’s reported
QuantumDiamonds received €76 million in non-dilutive funding from Germany’s federal economy ministry and the state of Bavaria, with European Commission approval.
The startup raised a €15 million equity round led by World Fund, with backing from Bayern Kapital and existing investors including Creator Fund, Earlybird, First Momentum, IQ Capital, Onsight Ventures, and UnternehmerTUM.
The company declined to disclose its valuation.
The funding will support a new facility in Munich for semiconductor testing equipment, part of a $178 million investment plan.
QuantumDiamonds’ technology uses quantum sensing to detect defects through all layers of a chip without destroying it, reducing inspection time from weeks to two minutes.
CEO Kevin Berghoff stated the hardware is typically paid back within a couple of months, with a subscription fee for on-site support and software.
The startup has opened a regional hub in Taiwan and completed commercial deployments in Taiwan and the U.S., including a system at Eurofins EAG Laboratories in Sunnyvale, California.
Most of its 70-person team is based in Munich, and the company plans to double its engineering team there over the next 12 months.
Berghoff noted that lab tools cost in the single-digit millions, while a high-throughput system could cost $10 to $15 million, far less than ASML machines at around $400 million.
Key figures
Kevin Berghoff, CEO of QuantumDiamonds
Fleming Bruckmaier, co-founder and CTO of QuantumDiamonds
Daria Saharova, managing partner at World Fund
Sources: TechCrunch
