Swiss nanotechnology firm Chiral has successfully closed a $12 million (€10 million) seed funding round to advance its manufacturing technology for next-generation semiconductors. Led by Crane Venture Partners, the investment will scale its robotic system for integrating nanomaterials into post-silicon computing chips. This development addresses a critical bottleneck as the industry seeks alternatives to conventional silicon to sustain performance gains.
Addressing the Post-Silicon Bottleneck
For decades, the semiconductor industry has followed Moore's Law, but the physical and economic limits of silicon scaling are now approaching. To continue advancing computing power and energy efficiency, the sector is exploring novel materials. Among the most promising are nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and two-dimensional materials, which offer superior properties.
Despite extensive research demonstrating their potential, the industrial adoption of nanomaterials has been hindered by a significant manufacturing challenge. The primary obstacle is the absence of scalable, precise, and contamination-free integration processes. This gap between laboratory breakthroughs and commercial viability is what Chiral was founded to address.
A Robotic Solution for Nanomaterial Integration
Chiral has engineered the industry’s first robotic nanomaterial integration system to overcome this production hurdle. The platform is built on a foundation of advanced automation, high-precision engineering, and artificial intelligence. It is designed to robotically integrate advanced materials directly onto standard silicon wafers with high accuracy.
This innovative approach offers a distinct advantage over conventional methods by enabling the precise and selective placement of nanomaterials without introducing contaminants. This capability provides a clear and scalable path from single-device experiments to full wafer-scale production. It effectively bridges the gap that has prevented nanomaterials from reaching commercial semiconductor fabrication.
Investor Confidence and Market Context
The investment signals strong confidence from the deep tech community, with Crane Venture Partners leading and participation from Quantonation, HCVC, and Founderful. Krishna Visvanathan of Crane noted that the next shift in computing requires making new materials work in real systems. Chiral's engineering-focused approach was cited as a key reason for their support.
Chiral’s funding is part of a larger European investment trend in advanced computing hardware, totaling over €35 million in 2025-2026. This includes funding for companies like Optalysys and Ipronics, highlighting a concerted effort to solve manufacturing challenges beyond silicon. The mix of venture capital and public grants underscores the sector's strategic importance.
Future Plans and Commercial Deployment
With the new capital, the ETH Zurich and Empa spin-off will enhance its system's automation, precision, and throughput. The company will focus on proving the technology's reliability and scalability within real-world industrial settings. This is crucial for accelerating the broader adoption of nanomaterials in advanced semiconductor and quantum devices.
The company is actively transitioning from development into commercial deployment, according to CEO Seoho Jung. The first commercial systems are scheduled for installation at customer sites this year, a major step toward market validation. Jung also indicated that customers will soon announce results demonstrating performance improvements enabled by Chiral’s technology.
Chiral's $12 million seed funding marks a pivotal moment for the company and the semiconductor industry as it confronts the limits of silicon. By providing a scalable manufacturing solution for nanomaterials, the company is positioned to unlock the next generation of high-performance, energy-efficient computing chips. This investment validates Chiral's technology and accelerates the transition from experimental promise to industrial reality.