Bochum-based GEMESYS, a German AI hardware startup, has secured €8.6M in a pre-seed funding round. 

The investment was led by the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund together with Atlantic Labs, with additional contributions from NRW.BANK, Sony Innovation Fund, and Silicon Valley’s Plug and Play Tech Center. 

The round was also supported by grant funding from the German government.

“GEMESYS is reinventing AI hardware with a truly innovative approach to edge intelligence. Its technology isn’t just an incremental improvement—it’s a game-changer,” says Quentin Calleja from Atlantic Labs.

Capital utilisation

GEMESYS will use the funds to accelerate research and development, focusing on advancing its novel chip architecture. 

The company is also expanding its team and is currently hiring for positions, including Senior C++ Developer and Senior Simulation Engineer, to support its technological growth.

GEMESYS’ approach to Edge AI

GEMESYS positions itself as Europe’s response to the dominance of AI hardware innovations in Asia and the US, aiming to establish technological independence and innovation in the AI landscape.

Developed in Germany and supported by the German government through the EXIST “Transfer of Research” funding programme, GEMESYS presents advancements in AI hardware with a focus on data privacy, efficiency, and sustainable development.

The company’s commitment to on-device AI training marks a “giant leap” toward technological sovereignty, positioning Germany and Europe as key players in the global AI industry.

Dr. Dennis Michaelis, CEO of GEMESYS, says, “At GEMESYS, our mission is to bring learning capabilities to every device through technology developed in Europe. Building on this foundation, we’re pioneering new applications that empower edge devices like never before—positioning Europe as a leader in distributed intelligence and setting a new standard for industry innovation.”

GEMESYS has developed a working hardware demonstrator and is preparing for upcoming silicon testing, which is expected to highlight the full potential of its AI chip.

Ion Hauer of APEX Ventures, adds, “We’re excited to see GEMESYS redefine what’s possible in Edge AI. Its technology can transform countless industries and push the boundaries of on-device inference and training.”

What does GEMESYS offer?

Founded by Dr. Dennis Michaelis, Dr. Enver Solan, Moritz Schmidt and Daniel Krüger, GEMESYS is advancing the field of AI with its innovative approach to on-device training. 

The company’s chip design offers unmatched data and energy efficiency, allowing it to train neural networks using a fraction of the data required by traditional architectures. This enables mobile devices and sensors to process and learn directly from data at its source, expanding applications in Edge AI.

GEMESYS also supports self-learning and distributed capabilities, including outlier detection, data drift management, and model personalisation. These features bring benefits such as enhanced data privacy, offline processing, and reduced bandwidth usage—key for IoT solutions. 

Additionally, GEMESYS introduces a new training methodology that compresses neural networks, improving efficiency for inference tasks.

Antonio Avitabile, MD – EMEA at Sony Ventures, says, “GEMESYS’s innovative architecture addresses the long-standing ‘von Neumann bottleneck’ while maintaining solid roots in CMOS technology essential for the supply chain. We’re thrilled to support the GEMESYS team as they pioneer a new era of energy-efficient computing.”

The company has a team of 19 employees and is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture while pursuing its mission to transform AI technology.

Eindhoven-based ANTENNEX, a company specialised in antenna measurement solutions, announced on Wednesday that it has secured €1.5M seed funding from Value Creation Capital (VCC) and Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM).

The Dutch company will use the funds to accelerate its commercial expansion and to improve its antenna testing and measurement landscape.

Anouk Hubrechsen, CEO of Antennex says, “This investment allows us to expand our operational and commercial activities for customers worldwide. VCC and BOM bring an enormous added value in developing our company because of their backgrounds in the RF and test and measurement domains. We are happy to welcome them as a shareholder in our company.”

ANTENNEX: Making antenna measurements accessible and fast

ANTENNEX, led by Anouk Hubrechsen, was founded as a spin-off of the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e).

The Dutch company specialises in advanced, compact measurement systems leveraging reverberation-chamber technology for next-generation wireless applications such as in telecom, automotive, aerospace, and defense.

By combining proprietary hardware with smart algorithms, the company simplifies traditionally complex and time-consuming measurements, delivering faster results with exceptional accuracy.

The company’s flagship product — The Wireless Connector features a built-in calibration module and intuitive controls and offers a more efficient alternative to traditional anechoic chambers, which are difficult to operate and maintain.

Operating across the 10–140 GHz range, the Wireless Connector is ideally suited for the development of future technologies in wireless communication, autonomous radar, and sensing.

The investor

Value Creation Capital (VCC) is a venture capital firm specialising in technology-driven investments across Europe.

Ronald Wissink, Managing Partner at VCC says, “We are happy to welcome Antennex to our Deep Tech portfolio. With their new technology, Antennex is able to measure antennas with high accuracy and speed. Providing faster time to market and high product quality for critical devices and infrastructure in various markets, like telecom, automotive, defence and aerospace. Value Creation Capital will support their international ambition and growth of their partner network for serving industry leaders.”

The Brabant Development Agency (BOM) works with entrepreneurs to create a strong economy in Brabant. They help businesses by sharing knowledge, building networks, and providing funding for innovative companies and sustainable energy projects.

Remie Bastiaansen, Investment Manager at BOM, says, “The transition to having more antennas integrated in devices will revolutionise various industries by enabling faster, more reliable, and more extensive wireless communication and sensing capabilities. Antennex is at the forefront of this transition, providing essential testing solutions that will facilitate the deployment and adoption of these advanced wireless technologies. BOM is excited to collaborate with VCC in offering both business development support and a new investment to the company.”

Zurich-based Voliro, a company specialised in aerial mobile robotics, announced on Thursday that it has secured $12M (approximately €10.8M) in Series A funding led by Cherry Ventures.

Other existing business angels, family offices, and a conventional debt facility, also participated in the round.

This new funding brings Voliro’s total capital raised to $22M (approximately €20M).

With this new funding, the Swiss company aims to expand its product offerings, enter new markets, and further its mission to make industrial inspection, maintenance, and repair work at height safer and more cost-effective.

“We’ve been able to save our customers significant time and money by using Voliro’s technology,” says Danny Landry, General Manager and Drone SME at Acuren.

“Their drones allow us to perform inspections much faster than traditional methods that require scaffolding, all while reducing our safety exposure,” Landry.

What does Voliro solve?

Industrial work at height is inherently risky, costly, and time-consuming.

Traditional methods often involve building scaffolds, using rope access, and deploying large workforces, exposing workers to significant dangers.

“Our mission is to eliminate the need for people to be exposed to risk for any work at height,” says Timo Müller, COO and co-founder of Voliro.

“With our advanced flying robots, we’re not only making these operations safer but also more efficient and cost-effective. This new funding will enable us to expand our product offerings and bring our technology to more industries globally,” adds Müller.

Founded in 2019 by Timo Müller and Dr. Marius Fehr, Voliro develops aerial mobile robotics, specialising in advanced flying robots that perform contact-based inspections and maintenance tasks at height.

The company launched its first product in November 2022, a drone equipped with a unique tiltable rotor system that allows it to interact with surfaces at any angle.

The company’s aerial robots provide a safer and more efficient solution by performing these tasks remotely, significantly reducing the need for human exposure to hazardous conditions while also cutting down on costs and time.

Currently, several industry players, including Chevron, Holcim, and Acuren use Voliro’s technology to perform critical inspections and maintenance on industrial assets such as flare stacks, wind turbines, and other hard-to-reach infrastructure.

The drones are capable of conducting non-destructive testing (NDT) and other contact-based inspections with unmatched precision, claims the company.

Voliro operates on a B2B subscription model, offering its technology as a comprehensive package that includes hardware, software, continuous updates, training, support, spare parts, and crash insurance.

“The recurring revenue from our subscription model allows us to continually invest in R&D and deliver high-quality solutions to our customers,” says Florian Gutzwiller, CEO of Voliro.

“We’re committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in aerial robotics, and this funding round is a testament to the confidence our investors have in our vision,” adds Gutzwiller.

The investor

Based out of Berlin, Cherry Ventures is an early-stage venture firm supporting founders who are poised to solve the most critical issues in society, the environment, and business.

“Voliro is setting a new standard in industrial inspections with its innovative aerial robotics technology, which addresses critical safety and efficiency challenges across multiple industries,” says Christian Meermann, Partner at Cherry Ventures. “We are excited to support Voliro as they scale their impact globally, bringing a safer and more efficient approach to work at height.”

Vilnius-based Ovoko is an online marketplace for auto parts, connecting car parts sellers, auto dismantlers, recyclers, car dealers, mechanics, and enthusiasts.

Recently, the Lithuanian company announced that it has secured €20M in Series B funding from Smash Capital.

Based out of Los Angeles, Smash Capital is a later-stage VC firm. The VC focuses on consumer internet & gaming, financial services, healthcare, enterprise software, and commerce.

This marks the largest investment in a Lithuanian startup this year and the first time this U.S.-based fund has invested in Lithuania.

The company will use the funds to accelerate its product growth — a business management system for used car parts, a trading platform, and logistics solutions, as well as hire 100 new employees over the next 18 months.

Currently, the company is looking for talents in product management, data analysis, business development, and customer support.

How was Ovoko born?

The story began with a single Excel sheet when Ovoko co-founder Justinas became a scrapyard owner in 2014.

Faced with various customer needs and expectations, he wanted to maintain a log of all available car parts for sale.

While Excel sufficed, Justinas considered the existence of a better solution for scrapyard owners everywhere.

At the time, the initial response was negative, leading to the involvement of the second co-founder, Olegas.

Ovoko: Online marketplace where car parts sellers

Founded by Justinas Baranovskis and Olegas Lopeta in 2016, Ovoko is an online marketplace that makes it simple to find, purchase and sell used automobile parts.  

The Lithuanian company provides a digital warehouse management system for efficient inventory control and logistics solutions, ensuring reliable and timely delivery of car parts across the EU.

Hosting a catalog of more than 15 million used car parts, the company offers fast shipping in Europe and a 14-day money-back guarantee.

The wheel, a circular device, has been pivotal in advancing human progress through innovation. However, if you ever wondered how the wheel can evolve in the 21st century then this Norwegian startup might have the answer. Founded by Rolf Libakken and Atle Tiemenes in 2013, wheel.me has been around for more than a decade but the startup is reimagining the role of a wheel in our ever-so-mechanical world.

Since its founding, the vision of wheel.me has been to find an easy and accessible way into automation. “Our vision is to transform any object into an autonomous mobile robot,” the startup says on its website. The idea for wheel.me came when Libakken had to help friends and family move heavy furniture repeatedly.

This personal help transformed into a product, a pop-up wheel that can be integrated into the legs of furniture. However, the idea didn’t stop there and turned into a vision that grew from moving furniture to moving anything with motorisation and smart autonomous behaviour. With Pål Rødseth as CEO, Svein Andreassen as CFO, Kjell Ivar as COO, Hanna B. Søberg as CPO, Mia Norman as VP of Engineering and Daniel Hjørnevik as Product Manager, the startup is transforming how we look at wheel and is becoming the automation startup to watch in Europe.

Hardware is complex

It is a well-known fact that building hardware is complex and for the wheel.me team, it wasn’t easy. Anmol Kandroo, DevOps Manager at wheel.me says the biggest challenge was to create a seamless hardware/software solution that’s both user-friendly and easily deployable. He adds that once the product was developed, it required extensive dedication and effort to meet customer expectations for safety and industrial compliance. “We have the highest safety standards for our solution,” quips Kandroo.

Today, more than 30 major customers use wheel.me’s robotic platform on different scales in America and Europe. The startup has also started gaining traction in other parts of the globe including Japan. Its rise mainly stems from its focus on collaborating with its key clients to develop a product that meets the industrial requirements.

Genius 1, the first-generation robot from the company, was the fruit of extensive collaboration and feedback. However, that collaboration led to more learning and they incorporated those necessary enhancements and compliance specifications into the design and development of its second-generation robot, called Genius, which debuted in Q4 2023.

Despite the success seen with improving its primary product, Kandroo says the company had to learn and unlearn a lot of things to make its product work for different customers. “For example, in an industrial manufacturing use case that operates 24/7, even though it looks very similar to existing use cases at first glance, we had a steep learning curve on hidden challenges like factory floor debris, complicated traffic areas, or dynamic environments that change every day,” explains Kandroo.

During the continuous process of deployment and enhancement, the startup also learned that they could manage a lot by improving their technology. One thing that cannot be overlooked is the “committed team on the factory floor, a clean environment, or small adjustments to the process that can make a huge difference in the long run.”

Meet Genius: Combination of robotics and AI

Genius is a set of 4 or 8 robots (or robotic wheels) that replace a standard set of caster wheels. The company explains the main wheel includes a set of sensors and a computer to navigate in the indoor environment and the combined system is used to transport things. This robot is further connected to a backend, which is hosted on the AWS cloud with serverless architecture.

“We leverage the AWS IoT services to manage the fleet of robots through a centralised application that allows us to collect data, create centralised maps, define missions and upgrade robots with the latest software upgrades in scale,” explains Kandroo.

He adds that automotive manufacturing is the largest customer for wheel.me right now since the technology offers a unique opportunity for automation by retrofitting existing processes with its wheels. “That allows them to scale up automation at their own speed without interrupting and redesigning their production,” he quips.

With robotics comes AI and the startup is currently leveraging AI at multiple levels like data stack for object recognition, smarter navigation, path planning, and predictive maintenance. However, like many other AI-driven startups, the wheel.me team also sees their use of AI as a start and envisions the technology playing a major role in bringing its robots to the next level.

AWS for scale and innovation

For its aforementioned cloud backend, wheel.me relies on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the startup says it is mainly because of its ease of use, affordability, scalability, and data privacy benefits. Kandroo says AWS helps them by providing a scalable infrastructure that is cost-effective, reliable, and flexible while also offering global reach and access to advanced technologies.

With AWS, he says wheel.me can focus on innovation and delivering value to its customers without worrying about infrastructure or operations. The startup also sees AWS as an ideal partner to support its expansion and development roadmap. “AWS offers many features and services in high scale and speed globally, making our own expansion and development easier, faster, flexible and reliable to adjust.”

With AWS, the wheel.me team says they are able to deploy faster and more reliably and since it is a small tech startup, Kandroo says AWS is great to work with and offers many opportunities and stability in the future.

Expansion on the cards

Wheel.me is a team of approximately 87 people and the startup is expanding its team, both in the US and Norway. The robotics startup is currently hiring for multiple roles across different departments like management, engineering, IT, and support.

While the team grows in the US and Europe, wheel.me is also looking to expand its operations by following the footprint of its global customers, who are expanding to Asia. With a business model that offers customers an option to purchase its solution, including the service and software platform, wheel.me is also offering a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model.

With its last funding round, wheel.me has built an automated factory in Norway where robots can build robots and is now focusing on enhancing capabilities across talent, hardware and the tech involved in building these robots.

The technological as well as operational growth of wheel.me in the past year alone is astounding. The startup has built a clever team that is pairing robotics with AI and ingenuity to bring autonomous robots to the automotive industry and other businesses. It will be interesting to see whether the startup becomes a genius like its product name in the coming years.

In today’s rapidly growing technological landscape, startups are at the forefront of innovation, driving transformation across various industries.

The defence industry, currently undergoing radical changes, is no exception.

With global security concerns on the rise and threats becoming increasingly complex, there’s a growing need for advanced, cost-effective solutions.

Consequently, a new set of companies is emerging, replacing the traditional defence mechanisms (once dependent on heavy hardware and extensive manpower) with swift, software-driven solutions.

Enter Nordic Air Defence, a Stockholm-based startup that aims to redefine the European defence tech scene.

Founded by Karl Rosander, a veteran in the tech industry, the Swedish company is already making waves with its first product – the Kreuger 100 drone interceptor platform.

Ahead of the Resilience Conference in London, we at Silicon Canals had the exclusive opportunity to speak with Karl Rosander, who also shared the first visuals of the Kreuger 100. 

Scheduled for September 26 – 27, Resilience Conference unites international startups, investors, and customers in security, defence, and resilience.

This conference will serve as a conduit for NATO and partner governments and primes to engage directly with the startup founders and investors creating the modern defence innovation ecosystem.

In this edition of “New Kid on the Block,” Rosander discusses his startup’s mission, Kreuger 100, challenges while developing, the role of advanced software in the defence sector, and much more. 

Do give it a read!

The birth of Nordic Air Defence

Karl Rosander, known for his successful ventures like the podcasting platform Acast, has now turned his sights to the defence sector.

Rosander founded Nordic Air Defence to address the growing threat posed by drones in both military and civil settings.

Rosander explains, “The way wars are waged is evolving, with aggressors increasingly using drones to gain an advantage. It includes swarms and autonomous kamikaze drones, once seen as science fiction. They pose a threat not only to military assets but also to critical infrastructure like oil tankers and power plants.”

According to Rosander, conventional anti-drone weapons like jammers, lasers, and kinetic weapons are costly or ineffective against modern threats.

“I wanted to build a company that could meet this challenge and ensures that cutting-edge portable defence tech could be in the hands of those who need it while driving down the cost. My goal was to transform the defence industry from within, making Europe more self-reliant and less dependent on outside help,” he adds.

Unveiling the Kreuger 100

Made in Sweden, the Kreuger 100 is a dual-use (civil and military) drone interceptor platform that uses batteries instead of fuel-based propulsion.

As per the company’s claims, Kreuger 100 will be ten times cheaper to produce than some conventional technology, such as interceptors or missiles, used to destroy drones.

Describing about it, he says, “We’ve cut much of the hardware that was once considered essential and replaced it with software. That reduces the unit cost, allows for mass manufacturing, and results in customers being able to scale their arsenals of interceptors to meet threats.”

While typical interceptors rely heavily on hardware like motors, flight controllers, and cameras, the Kreuger 100 minimises these components through advanced aircraft control software.

Explaining this approach, Rosander says, “We’ve challenged that status quo and developed complex aircraft control software which reduces the amount of this hardware required. This results in a high-speed, low-cost, and easy-to-manufacture kinetic drone interceptor.”

While specific details about the Kreuger 100’s functionality remain confidential, Rosander assured Silicon Canals that its controlling and targeting capabilities are unprecedented.

Overcoming challenges in development

Developing state-of-the-art defence technology is no small feat, and Nordic Air Defence faced several challenges along the way.

The team had a challenging task ahead of them, from navigating complex ethical questions to dealing with long procurement cycles.

“Europe doesn’t have the luxury of years and years spent in development time, and nor did we. Our team – consisting of former staff from some of the world’s leading defence, drone, and AI companies – was up to the challenge,” he states.

However, their diverse experience and expertise allowed them to overcome these hurdles.

Beyond former Acast team members, Nordic Air Defence has staff from US defence titans, Palantir and Kratos, FOI (the Swedish Defence Research Agency), industrial titan SAAB, and the Stockholm-based AI and data science consultancy, Codon.

The company also includes colleagues who are alumni of leading international drone developers, such as Katla from Sweden, Quantum Systems from Germany, and Zipline from San Francisco.

Simplifying user experience

One of the standout features of the Kreuger 100 is its user-friendly design, claims the Swedish company.

Traditional drone defence systems often require extensive training, but the Kreuger 100 is designed for ease of use.

Its lightweight and portable nature makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, from military operations to protecting civil infrastructure.

“The Kreuger 100’s portability increases the scenarios in which it can provide defence, as well as simple-to-use modular payloads to ensure versatility to match every customer requirement,” says Rosander.

The role of advanced software in defence technologies

Rosander expects a future where advanced software tech, such as AI and autonomous systems, plays a central role in enhancing defence technologies’ capabilities.  

However, he also highlights the importance of responsible innovation.

“While advanced software offers benefits like increased efficiency and adaptability, there’s a significant risk of humans losing control over attack weapons, leading to unintended and potentially catastrophic consequences,” cautions Rosander. “It’s crucial to implement robust safeguards to ensure human oversight remains integral in defence operations. Europe must develop its own autonomous systems capabilities, in order not to be reliant on the US.”

Long-term goals and global expansion

Stockholm-based Nordic Air Defence has ambitious plans for the future, and Kreuger 100 is one of the many upcoming innovations that will provide Europe with a future-facing approach to defence tech.

At present, the company is focused on countering airborne threats, but it is planning to broaden its capabilities to handle robotic threats in all areas, including air, land, sea, and subsea.

“Europe and NATO are our priority,” Rosander concludes. “We intend to build a formidable arsenal of tools for commercial institutions and governments alike to destroy unmanned threats.”

Amsterdam-based Fairphone, an ethical electronic manufacturer, announced on Thursday that it has launched Fairbuds, a true wireless earbuds. 

While most of the earbuds are often disposed of once they stop working, Fairbuds has a total of seven spare parts that can be easily exchanged. Unlike other TWS in the market, if a user loses one earbud, they can easily order a replacement. 

The Fairbuds also allow users to replace the batteries in both the earbuds and the modular charging case. 

This replaceable battery feature is crucial for ensuring that the earbuds have a longer lifespan. Most people tend to dispose of their earbuds due to the decreasing battery life, and this feature helps to combat this issue.

Reinier Hendriks, CEO at Fairphone states, “The Fairbuds we are launching today are built to last and are made with 70% fair and recycled materials. We provide a unique extended three-year warranty as well, to help extend the use of the earbuds for as long as possible. With our new Fairbuds, we want to continue to expand Fairphone’s customer base. Based on the Fairbuds XL app downloads, we see that 70 per cent of Fairbuds XL customers were new to Fairphone!

Fairbuds: Made out of recycled and fair materials

According to the company, the Fairbuds (both the earbuds and charging case) are made with 70 per cent recycled and fair materials.

Fairphone claims that it uses rare earth elements that are 100% recycled during the production of its products. This helps to reduce the company’s greenhouse gas footprint. 

Any remaining greenhouse gas emissions produced from the sale of Fairbuds are offset by the company through investments in carbon reduction projects, clarifies Fairphone in the press release.  

The company also says the Fairbuds are electronic waste neutral, meaning that for every pair of Fairbuds produced, an equivalent weight of electronic waste is recycled responsibly.

Specifications

The Fairbuds come with high-quality titanium-coated 11mm drivers, active noise-canceling (ANC) with wind noise reduction, and environmental noise-canceling (ENC). 

The Fairbuds feature six onboard microphones, and multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, allowing two devices to connect simultaneously. It also has an IP54 rating and 26 hours of playback (with the charging case). 

Users can customise the found using Fairbuds mobile app, available for both Android and Apple devices. The Fairbuds also come with a 3-year warranty. 

The Fairbuds will be available for order on 9 April from Fairphone’s website and selected partners in Europe, at a suggested retail price of €149.

Brief about Fairphone

Founded in 2013 by Bas van Abel, Fairphone is driven by the mission to inspire the entire electronics industry to adopt more responsible practices. 

The company says that each Fairphone device exemplifies the market’s demand for ethical electronics, seamlessly integrated with a sustainable and profitable business strategy.

The B-Corp-certified company aims to influence the electronics industry by emphasising ethical practices. It encourages manufacturers and suppliers to invest in improved working conditions and sustainable practices, fostering better opportunities for connected communities in the supply chain.

Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium-based e-peas, a fabless semiconductor company that develops ultra-low power management for energy harvesting, announced on Wednesday that it has secured €17.5M in a new funding round led by Otium Capital.

New investors Nomainvest and EIC Fund, and existing investors KBC Focus Fund, The Faktory, Wallonie Entreprendre, Noshaq-Leansquare, and Start.Invest, participated in the funding round. 

The latest funding round will help e-peas to accelerate the commercial development of its Ambient Energy Management (AEM) products and expand its product portfolio. 

e-peas: Helping businesses create battery-free products

Sustainability has become an important focus for electronic vendors, who are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and use rare earth materials. 

Founded by Geoffroy Gosset and Julien De Vos, e-peas develops ultra-low-power circuits such as energy harvester interfaces and microcontrollers to make IoT devices more energy-efficient and longer-lasting.

The company has pioneered energy harvesting technologies that gather ambient energy such as light, radio frequency, temperature gradient, or vibration, removing the need for battery replacement and reducing C02 impact. 

e-peas’s products increase the amount of harvested energy and drastically reduce the energy consumption of all power-consuming blocks within wireless sensor nodes. 

Currently, the company’s energy harvesting has already been adopted in multiple products, such as TV remote controls, smart home devices, electronic shelf labels, wearables, and industrial sensors.

Additionally, it is being considered for several other applications where energy efficiency is crucial.

The investor

Otium Capita is a family office, managing the assets of founder Pierre-Edouard Stérin. 

With over €1.6B in Assets Under Management, Otium invests at all stages of development, from Seed and Series A to Growth and Buy & Build projects, in various fields, from venture tech and consumer to industry and real estate.

Pierre Menard of Otium Capital says, “e-peas revolutionary innovation is poised to address the booming energy harvesting market.”

Nomainvest is a Belgian multi-family investment company with a strong focus on private equity investments (venture capital, growth capital, and buyouts) in Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. 

The firm focuses on ambitious companies with innovative growth projects in sectors such as sustainable construction and housing, environment, climate and sustainable energy, mobility, and healthcare and demographics.

Philippe Niessen from Nomainvest adds, “A disruptive technology solving a sustainability issue convinced us to support Geoffroy, Julien, and their team.”

The European Innovation Council Fund from the European Commission is agnostic: it invests across all technologies and verticals and all EU countries and countries associated with Horizon Europe. 

It provides the investment component of the EIC Accelerator blended finance. 

The EIC Fund provides financing to companies developing disruptive technologies, bridging them with investors, and building a large network of co-investors and strategic partners to share risk and increase their chances of success.

Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board, says, “The EIC Fund has established itself as a strong force in EU deep-tech investments, and we are very happy to support e-peas, leading the way towards energy efficiency in electronic devices. Their groundbreaking technology allows for carbon footprint reduction and is very much aligned with EU’s Green Deal objectives, and also new regulations like Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).”

Norway-based sensiBel, a deep-tech company developing next-generation MEMS microphones, announced on Wednesday that it has secured €7M led by Sennheiser.

Existing investors, including TRUMPF Venture, Skagerak Capital, Investinor, SINTEF Venture, MP Pensjon, and Halden Kommunale Pensjonskasse, also participated in the round. 

The company will use the funds to expand production and invest in scalability.

Led by Sverre Dale Moen, sensiBel has developed optical MEMS microphones that demonstrate a generational shift in sound quality despite their miniature size. 

sensiBel says its miniature microphones enable a new and improved experience in application areas such as consumer electronics, automotive, conferencing solutions, and medical devices.

“sensiBel shares the same vision as Sennheiser and we are proud to welcome Sennheiser as an investor,” says sensiBel CEO Sverre Dale Moen. He continues: “We believe an investment from such a highly recognised audio company speaks of the merits of the technology and the potential for optical MEMS technology to shape the future of miniature microphones.”

sensiBel: Manufactures optical MEMS microphones

sensiBel‘s technology utilises light waves to measure the movement of the diaphragm. 

Unlike conventional MEMS microphones that measure an electric field between the moving diaphragm and a backplate, SensiBel’s optical system uses a laser to generate light beams that are projected onto the microphone membrane and reflected on a photodetector. 

The reflected beams are captured and processed digitally in an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). 

This technology enables the microphone to measure very small movements, hence capturing very low noise levels, even when there is a high level of loud background noise. 

Additionally, the optical MEMS microphone can withstand high sound pressure levels providing a large dynamic range to the users. This technology generates significantly better sound quality than previous MEMS solutions in the market. It comes with a specification of 80 dBA SNR (14 dBA noise floor), 132 dB dynamic range, 24-bit digital output, and low power consumption, while being compact.

“We want to grow sustainably as a company. In addition to investments in our existing business, this also includes investments in promising future fields outside of our company, providing these align well to our company and our vision,” explains Co-CEO Daniel Sennheiser. Andreas Sennheiser adds: “sensiBel’s innovative optical MEMS technology is clearly this type of promising emerging field. As investors, we look forward to actively driving forward this groundbreaking development.”

Kirkland, US-based Monolithic Power Systems, a fabless company, announced that it has acquired Axign, a Dutch fabless semiconductor startup.

The acquisition means that FORWARD.one, a shareholder of Axign since 2021, has sold its stake. 

As part of the acquisition, MPS will keep the Dutch team. The office in Enschede will become their “Center of Excellence” for audio applications, leveraging Axign’s local presence with universities.

Axign: Creating a superior audio experience

Founded in 2014, Axign aims to create a superior audio experience for high-volume products at the lowest system cost. Axign specialises in analogue/mixed-signal technology and ICs designed for audio amplifier systems. 

The company has supplied audio controller chips to leading brands like Harman Kardon, JBL, Bluesound, and Masimo. 

Axign received backing from various notable investors, including Innovation Industries, KBC Focus Fund, Ten Cate Investeringsmaatschappij, Atlantic Bridge, FORWARD.one, and Innovatiefonds Overijssel. 

Paul Sandberg, CEO of Axign, says, “We have been able to grow Axign into a global player in the audio industry. MPS and Axign have been working strategically together for a long time because the products fit well together. With the increasing integration of components, the acquisition is a logical next step.” 

In addition, Sandberg expects that MPS’s sales organisation and reputation will help expand the customer base in the consumer and automotive industries. He considers this an important strategic step towards their further development in market leadership.

Arjan Gobel, partner at FORWARD.one says. “We are excited about this acquisition as it will allow Axign’s technology to be implemented on a global scale. MPS has the resources and expertise to bring Axign to the next level.”

Monolithic Power Systems: Providing the highest quality power solutions 

Founded in 1997 by Michael Hsin, MPS’ mission is to reduce energy and material consumption to improve all aspects of quality of life and create a sustainable future. 

Monolithic Power Systems (MPS) provides small, highly energy-efficient, easy-to-use power solutions for systems found in industrial applications, telecom infrastructures, cloud computing, automotive, and consumer applications.

The company has three core strengths: deep system-level knowledge, strong semiconductor design expertise, innovative proprietary technologies in semiconductor processes, system integration, and packaging. 

These advantages enable MPS to provide reliable, compact, and cost-effective monolithic solutions that are also highly energy efficient and environmentally responsible, delivering a consistent return on investment to our stockholders.

“When I listened to music from an Axign amplifier, I instantly recognised the excellent sound quality — the rich texture, wide dynamics, and clear spatial resolution,” says Michael Hsing, the founder and CEO of MPS. 

“I realised that combined with MPS’s technologies, we can bring that audiophile quality to the mass market. Axign’s passion for delivering best-in-class performance products matches our culture — the pursuit of excellence,” adds Hsing.