Nexstrom, a Singapore-based semiconductor startup, has raised a $12 million seed round to advance a wafer-scale platform for two-dimensional materials. The investment was led by Xora Innovation, with participation from Foothill Ventures and SEEDS. The company said the funding will accelerate commercialization of its technology and support development of the industry's first 12-inch single-crystal 2D semiconductor platform.
Addressing the Limits of Silicon
Nexstrom is focused on overcoming the physical limits of silicon as AI workloads drive demand for faster and more energy-efficient chips. As silicon channels continue to shrink, electron leakage causes significant power loss and heat, which limits further performance gains. The company is developing atomically thin materials known as transition-metal dichalcogenides, or TMDs, that provide precise electron control while remaining compatible with advanced foundry manufacturing.
These TMD materials are only a few atomic layers thick and are often grouped under the term two-dimensional materials due to their extreme thinness. Nexstrom believes they can enable chipmakers to continue scaling transistors beyond what conventional silicon allows. Its technology is intended to grow TMDs directly on 300 millimeter wafers used in commercial chip production.
Manufacturing at Scale
Unlike laboratory methods that produce only small samples, Nexstrom's full-stack platform integrates proprietary chemical vapor deposition hardware, process technology, and wafer-scale material growth. The company says its product, called North Star, is designed to fit into existing foundry workflows without requiring major changes. This approach promises continuous single-crystal growth across industry-standard 12-inch wafers and a clear path to adoption.
Nexstrom says some industry partners are already testing samples of its wafers and materials, although it did not name them. Chief Executive Officer Phoebe Tan explained that the company is focused on delivering material quality specified by partners and has proven results on wafers using its installed 12-inch system. It has scaled from two-inch to six-inch wafers and expects to complete eight-inch milestones by the end of October.
Leadership and Industry Support
The startup was incubated through Xora Innovation's venture-building model to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial semiconductor manufacturing. Co-founder and Chief Scientist Dr. Lance Li has worked on two-dimensional materials since 2012 and previously led research on post-silicon electronics at TSMC. He is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, a distinction recognizing roughly the top 0.1 percent of researchers worldwide by influence.
Nexstrom is supported by a board and advisory group that includes semiconductor leaders Dr. Sundar Ramamurthy, Dr. Philip Wong, Dr. Aaron Thean, and Dr. John Langan. Board advisor Dr. Philip Wong noted that two-dimensional semiconductors are already on major industry roadmaps and that the key challenge is manufacturability. He said the industry needs high-quality, uniform materials on 300 millimeter substrates, which is exactly where Nexstrom is focused.
Funding and Commercial Roadmap
The $12 million seed round brings Nexstrom's total capital raised to $15 million, including $3 million in non-dilutive funds. The company plans to use the new capital to further develop its platform, improve process control and measurement capabilities, expand its team, and support qualification programs with potential customers. Nexstrom said the funding will also advance strategic collaborations with semiconductor foundries as it moves toward commercial production.
Nexstrom expects its equipment to be ready for commercial production between 2030 and 2035. The company is positioning itself as a partner to chipmaking giants such as TSMC, Samsung, and Intel rather than a direct competitor. By solving the materials bottleneck, it aims to enable high-performance, low-power chips for AI, data centers, and future computing applications.
Nexstrom's seed funding marks a significant step toward commercializing two-dimensional semiconductor materials for advanced chip manufacturing. The company is addressing a critical industry bottleneck by making TMDs manufacturable on standard 300 millimeter wafers. If successful, its platform could help define the next era of high-performance computing and unlock new possibilities beyond silicon.