The capital injection comes from the German federal economy ministry and the state of Bavaria, aligning with the broader European Chips Act. Alongside the grant, the startup finalized a €15 million equity round led by World Fund, with participation from Bayern Kapital and existing investors including Earlybird and IQ Capital. CEO Kevin Berghoff noted that the firm’s ability to replace weeks-long inspection processes with two-minute, non-destructive scans has already attracted significant interest from major global chipmakers.
In section Startups & Technology
QuantumDiamonds Secures €76M Grant to Scale Chip Inspection Tech
German startup QuantumDiamonds has secured €76 million in state-backed funding to expand its semiconductor testing capabilities. The Munich-based company, a spinout from the Technical University of Munich, plans to build a new production facility to scale its quantum-sensing technology, which detects defects in multi-layered chips without damaging them.
QuantumDiamonds utilizes synthetic diamonds to monitor electricity flow within chips, providing a view through all layers of complex, multi-layered hardware. This approach addresses the growing industry shift toward 3D chip architectures required for AI data centers. While the company faces competition from established U.S. inspection firms, Berghoff claims a first-mover advantage, as no other international player currently ships similar quantum-based tools. The startup is now transitioning from lab-based sample testing to high-throughput quality control, aiming to integrate its systems directly into semiconductor fabrication plants globally. With a team of 70, the company plans to double its engineering headcount in Munich over the next year to support international deployments in Taiwan and the United States.
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