Dutch startup VSParticle raises €6.5M to aid new material discovery to power sustainable energy

Delft-based VSParticle (VSP), a supplier of nanoparticle synthesis and deposition tools, has secured €6.5M in an A2 extension round led by NordicNinja and Plural. 

Existing investor Hermann Hauser Investment also participated in this round, bringing VSP’s total raised funding to €24.5M.

VSP’s technology allows materials to be broken down to nanoparticle size, enabling faster experimentation and discovery of new materials. This innovation reduces the typical 10-year timeline for material discovery to just one year, significantly accelerating the development of next-generation products.

Capital utilisation

The funds will enhance VSP’s technology, enabling next-generation printers with up to 100 times higher output, and support expansion into Japan as well as further growth in the US and Europe.

Aaike van Vugt, co-founder and CEO of VSParticle, says, “Our technology is empowering university researchers and commercial R&D teams across the world to create new materials that will transform the production of green hydrogen and reduce emissions in carbon-intensive industries.”

“We’re excited about the role VSParticle will play in tackling the climate crisis and we’re delighted to have the backing of NordicNinja and renewed support from Plural as part of this extension funding that will help us to reach more research teams across the world, including in Japan, to pave a new way for material discovery.”

New material discovery

Founded in 2014, VSParticle accelerates material development to power next-gen products and unlock large-scale innovation. Its technology integrates all three steps of material innovation: lab trial and error, production process optimisation, and mass production scaling.

Researchers and R&D teams across Europe, China, India, and the US use VSP’s technology to develop next-gen gas sensors and catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) for green hydrogen.

VSP’s mission is to achieve a century of material innovation in a decade, address the climate crisis, and enable a more sustainable future.

Over the past year, VSP has shipped its flagship product, the VSP-P1 Nanoprinter, to research teams across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America, including institutions like Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Materials Discovery Research Institute, and the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research. 

These teams are using the nanoprinter to accelerate material development for innovative industrial solutions.

VSP’s technology is particularly crucial for the mass production of catalyst-coated Porous Transport Layers (PTLs), essential components in electrolyzers for green hydrogen production. This process, vital for reducing fossil fuel dependence and supporting a sustainable future, currently relies on scarce resources such as platinum and iridium. 

VSP printers enable the development of new material combinations for PTLs, potentially achieving a 10x savings in these scarce metals and allowing faster and cheaper product introductions. 

By 2027, components developed with VSP’s technology are expected to reach the market, supporting global net-zero goals. According to the IEA, 306 million tonnes of green hydrogen will be needed annually to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with the EU and Japan prioritising this clean energy source.

Brief about the lead investors

London-based NordicNinja is a VC fund focused on deeptech, climate tech, and digital society solutions, aiming to solve society’s hardest problems. As the largest Japanese-backed VC in Europe, it combines European innovations with Japan’s drive for digital innovation. 

Managed by Rainer Sternfeld, Tomosaku Sohara, Marek Kiisa, and Shinichi Nikkuni, NordicNinja is dedicated to building a more equitable and sustainable future.

Speaking about the investment in VSP, Rainer Sternfeld, Partner at NordicNinja, says, “VSParticle’s technology is transforming material innovation and, combined with AI, this will be the basis of world-changing discovery and synthesis over the next decades.”

“We’re delighted to be supporting the impressive VSP team in this extension round, particularly with their Japanese expansion plans to capitalise on the drive to scale the development of green hydrogen. We can’t wait to see what they achieve next.”

Tallinn and London-based Plural is an early-stage investment fund supporting ambitious founders aiming to transform the world through technology. Launched in June 2022, Plural focuses on providing experienced investors to match the ambition of European founders. 

Its mission is to drive impact on Europe’s GDP, address systemic risks, and reduce global opportunity gaps through its investments.

Speaking on the investment in VSP, Sten Tamkivi, partner at Plural, adds, “Material discovery has always been extremely important in science but over the past 12 months, the world has woken up to the need to speed up innovation so we can find the solutions to global challenges, including decarbonising society.” 

“VSParticle is the only company that is driving discovery at the critical early levels so teams can scale experimentation and development of next-generation materials. This technology is already making a difference to teams in Europe and the US, particularly when it comes to enabling AI-driven automation of material discovery and we look forward to working closely with Aaike and the team as they continue to expand.”