Chiral, a nanotechnology startup, raises $3.8M led by Founderful and HCVC

Chiral, a nanotechnology startup, recently raised $3.8 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Founderful and HCVC, with participation from ETH Zurich and Venture Kick.

The startup said the raised capital will accelerate the development of its innovative machines, which are designed to revolutionize the electronics industry by integrating nanomaterials into devices.

Enhancing electronic devices

Chiral has developed a way to work with nanomaterials to enhance electronic devices like computer chips. The startup said that these nanomaterials can significantly improve the performance of electronics, making them faster, more efficient, and capable of handling more complex tasks.

However, using these materials has been a challenge due to their minuscule size. Chiral's technology simplifies this process, using automated, robotic machines to accurately and quickly place these materials onto chips, overcoming one of the major hurdles in electronics manufacturing today, it said.

Overcoming the limits of silicon

The electronics industry has long relied on making silicon technology smaller to improve device performance, a trend known as Moore's Law. However, as this approach reaches its physical and practical limits, the search for new materials has led to nanomaterials.

Chiral said that its innovative approach aims to make the integration of these advanced materials into electronic devices a reality, marking a significant step forward in the evolution of chip manufacturing.

The beginning of Chiral

Chiral's journey began with a national research project at the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, where its co-founders --- Seoho Jung, Natanael Lanz, and Andre Butzerin --- as PhD students, developed a prototype machine that could integrate nanomaterials into devices at unprecedented speeds.

The early success demonstrated the commercial viability of their technology, leading to the formation of Chiral. 

The global nanotechnology market size is projected to grow from $79.14 billion in 2023 to $248.56 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 17.8%, as per Fortune Business Insights research. One of the largest chipmakers in the world, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), presented its development roadmap showing nanomaterial-based transistors as its future architecture.

What did investors say about Chiral?

Pascal Mathis, Founding Partner at Founderful, commented: “We're thrilled to join forces with Chiral alongside HCVC. Chiral's AI- and robotics-based technology lets us envision a future where nanomaterial-based chips are being produced at the scale needed for commercialization – a major bottleneck up until now. We look forward to supporting Seoho, Natanael and André in their journey to introduce a new paradigm of chips beyond silicon.”

"The team at Chiral has embarked on a critical mission to pave the way toward a groundbreaking post-silicon era, promising to transcend current limitations and unlock new possibilities for advancement. We couldn't be more excited to support their mission, in collaboration with Founderful, as they build the future of computing infrastructure," said Alexis Houssou, Founding Partner at HCVC.