German semiconductor startup, Black Semiconductor, has secured EUR 254.4 million (around USD$275,900,000) in funding to launch graphene-enhanced semiconductor technology in Europe. With the funding, the company says that it is on track to realize the first phase of its vision – advancing a new generation of chip technology from research to mass production by 2031.
The Company has secured EUR 228.7 million (around USD$248,000,000) in public funding from the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia over the next 7 years under the IPCEI ME/CT2 program.
Alongside the public funding, Black Semiconductor has secured an additional EUR 25.7 million (around USD$27,800,000) in equity funding. The round was led by Porsche Ventures and Project A Ventures, with participation from venture capital firms, corporates, and industry players including Scania Growth Capital, Capnamic, Tech Vision Fonds, and NRW.BANK, joining the seed round investors Vsquared Ventures, Cambium Capital, and Hermann Hauser’s Onsight Ventures.
Black Semiconductor was founded in 2020 by Dr. Daniel Schall and Sebastian Schall, and the Company is developing a new way to build networks of chips leveraging graphene. The general idea is that these new chip networks will speed up data communication between chips for unparalleled performance, improved energy efficiency, and a significant reduction in manufacturing costs through 60% fewer production steps required. Black Semiconductor aims to enable mass production of graphene semiconductors in full compliance with existing industry standards.
The Company’s technology and hardware facilitate optical chip-to-chip connections, allowing chips to interact almost as if they were one. By overcoming current limitations in silicon chip architecture, it aims to break through existing barriers with its technology.
"We highly value the strong support of the government and renowned investors to jointly advance the development of novel technologies in Europe. The investment enables us to drive our product development and 300 mm wafer pilot production facility forward at full speed. As traditional chip technology moves closer to its technological and economic limits, our innovation paves the way for faster, more powerful, cost-efficient, and energy-efficient computation,” says Dr. Daniel Schall, co-founder and CEO of Black Semiconductor, in a press release.
With the fresh capital, Black Semiconductor says it will accelerate its R&D initiatives and establish pilot line manufacturing capabilities in Aachen, Germany, an important step towards fulfilling its goal of producing and implementing high-quality graphene in Europe. The Company plans to inaugurate a pilot manufacturing facility in Aachen by 2026.
Additionally, Black Semiconductor aims to increase its headcount, planning to create 90 new high-tech positions, boosting its total workforce from 30 to 120 by 2026.
