QuantumDiamonds GmbH, a Munich-based DeepTech company specializing in quantum-based precision measurement technology for the semiconductor industry, has secured a total of €91 million in funding to accelerate the development of its non-destructive semiconductor inspection technology.
The financing package combines a €15 million Series A equity investment with €76 million in non-dilutive funding awarded under the European Chips Act. The subsidy support comes from the European Union, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and the Free State of Bavaria, making it one of the first Chips Act funding packages awarded to a young European DeepTech manufacturing company.
Founded in 2022 by Dr. Fleming Bruckmaier and Kevin Berghoff as a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich, QuantumDiamonds develops quantum sensor technology based on synthetic diamonds for non-destructive testing of advanced semiconductor structures.
The company's technology addresses one of the semiconductor industry's major inspection challenges. As modern chips become increasingly complex with multilayer three-dimensional architectures, identifying hidden defects using conventional inspection methods has become more difficult and often requires destructive analysis. QuantumDiamonds' solution utilizes quantum sensors embedded in synthetic diamonds to visualize electrical current flow inside microchips without damaging the devices.
Its first commercial inspection platform, QDm.1, is designed to perform precise nanoscale three-dimensional fault analysis. According to the company, the system is already being used in collaboration with nine of the world's ten leading semiconductor manufacturers. QuantumDiamonds is also expanding its engineering team while establishing a new production facility in Munich to support future growth.
The €15 million Series A financing round was led by World Fund, with participation from Bayern Kapital, IQ Capital, Earlybird, First Momentum, UnternehmerTUM Funding for Innovators, Creator Fund, Onsight Ventures, and several business angel investors.
Legal advisory firm Osborne Clarke supported QuantumDiamonds throughout the financing process, providing guidance on the corporate and contractual aspects of the transaction. The firm's work included structuring the investment, designing governance arrangements, and negotiating financing documentation with the international investor group while addressing the specific requirements associated with venture capital financing and public subsidy programs.
“DeepTech financings such as QuantumDiamonds’ Series A are a crucial lever for strengthening Europe’s role in the semiconductor industry,” said Robert Marx, Counsel at Osborne Clarke. “Such transactions demonstrate how venture capital and industrial policy programmes can together help build key technologies in Europe and bring them into series production.”
