Specialized Fund Targets Global
Semiconductor and
Nanotechnology Innovation
LEUVEN, Belgium, May 2, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Imec.xpand, an independent global venture
capital fund, today announced the launch of a new EUR 300 million fund aimed at accelerating the
growth of transformative semiconductor and nanotechnology
innovations. Established as a collaborative effort with imec, the
world-leading R&D and innovation hub in nanoelectronics, the
fund will invest in startups that have the potential to be globally
disruptive within their target domains. The fund is designed to
fuel semiconductor innovation beyond traditional applications and
drive the next-generation technologies that are 10 years ahead of
their time.
Imec.xpand invests globally across all stages, transforming
semiconductor and nanotechnology innovations into market-ready
solutions. Focused on leveraging imec's expertise, the fund targets
breakthrough technologies including artificial intelligence (AI),
machine learning (ML), augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR)
and photonics. In life sciences, imec.xpand is looking for
opportunities to advance cell therapy, sequencing, neuromodulation
and other applications that will revolutionize medical diagnostics
and treatments.
"Imec.xpand is not just about funding startups, it's about
building companies that can lead the next wave of technological
transformation," said Tom Vanhoutte,
partner at imec.xpand. "With this fund, we are dedicated to
advancing the semiconductor industry by empowering startups to
bring innovative technologies to market faster. The combination of
our venture capital and international network helps unicorns grow
amid the global race for semiconductor supremacy."
The first imec.xpand fund was launched in 2017 with the strong
support of imec. Since then, imec.xpand has attracted a loyal base
of international financial and strategic investors. Over the years,
imec.xpand has built a strong track record of investing in
game-changing companies. The fund's unique positioning among the
global venture capital community, and also in the U.S., is
instrumental in attracting potential co-investors for its portfolio
companies. Imec.xpand's stamp of approval often acts as a financial
catalyst that enables startups to raise additional funding from
other investors. To date, imec.xpand has invested in 23 companies
that, so far, have raised nearly EUR 1.5
billion in financing and includes two unicorns.
Imec.xpand portfolio companies are developing cutting-edge,
differentiated technologies that give them a global competitive
advantage in their respective markets. Noteworthy imec.xpand
portfolio companies include Celestial AI, a Silicon Valley company
that recently raised $175 million USD
to advance its optical compute and memory fabric solution for AI
infrastructure; PsiQuantum, a frontrunner in the race to develop
the first practical quantum computer; and Swave Photonics,
developing a unique holographic extended reality chip technology
designed to disrupt 3D holographic imaging and spatial
computing.
Imec.xpand's combination of independent management, global reach
and scale, dedicated semiconductor focus, corporate and financially
driven investors, and extensive imec support sets the fund apart
from other venture capital initiatives. To learn more about
imec.xpand and its latest venture capital fund, visit:
https://imecxpand.com/.
About imec.xpand
Imec.xpand is one of the world's largest independent venture
capitalist dedicated to early-stage semiconductor innovation. The
imec.xpand funds target ambitious deep tech start-ups where the
knowledge, expertise and infrastructure of imec, the world-renowned
semiconductor and nanotechnology R&D center, can play a
determining role in their growth. Imec.xpand has an outspoken
international mindset towards building disruptive global companies
and strongly believes that sufficient funding from the start is key
to future success. The team's unique ability to assess technology
risk in the earliest stages of development enables imec.xpand's
game-changing approach towards hardware driven semiconductor
innovation. https://imecxpand.com.
Media Contact:
Jeremy Hyatt
Green Flash Media
jeremy@gflashmedia.com
+1 949 607 9000
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