Future computers will have chips made from exotic materials instead of silicon – and this little-known Swiss startup wants to be a big part of that

By James On Mar 2, 2024

The rapid advancement of chipmaking technology over the past two decades has been driven primarily by the continued scaling up of silicon technology, known as Moore’s Law. However, as we approach the physical limitations of silicon, the industry is shifting its focus to nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene and TMDs, which promise unprecedented chip functionality.

Nanomaterials have the potential to revolutionize various electronic devices, including high-power transistors, low-power sensors and quantum devices. According to Fortune Business Insights Research, the global nanotechnology market is expected to grow from $79.14 billion in 2023 to $248.56 billion in 2030, showing how bright the future is expected to be.

The lack of control over existing nanotechnology production methods, which are mainly based on chemistry, has hindered their commercialization to date. This is where the Swiss nanotechnology company Chiralwhich recently announced a $3.8 million funding round is coming in.

Automated robotic machines

Chiral’s journey began as a national research project at the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, where co-founders Seoho Jung, Natanael Lanz and Andre Butzerin were PhD students. After four years of R&D and the successful creation of a prototype machine that was 100 times faster than existing systems, the team incorporated Chiral in June 2023.

The company plans to use high-speed, automated robotic machines to integrate nanomaterials into devices. These machines can reportedly place materials as small as micrometers or even nanometers onto chips with unprecedented precision and control, overcoming the limitations of traditional methods.

Chiral’s pre-seed funding round was co-led by Founderful and HCVC, and Pascal Mathis, Founding Partner at Founderful, said: “Chiral’s AI and robotics-based technology lets us imagine a future where nanomaterial-based chips are produced at the top level. scale needed for commercialization – a major bottleneck so far.”