QuantumDiamonds (QD), a Munich-based startup, has closed a €91 million funding round to scale production of its quantum-based semiconductor inspection technology. The company uses quantum sensors to detect defects in chips, addressing a critical bottleneck in advanced manufacturing.
The financing combines a €15 million equity round led by World Fund with €76 million in non-dilutive funding approved at the EU level under the European Chips Act. This marks the first time a startup has secured manufacturing funding through the initiative, according to TechFunding News.
Europe produces roughly 10% of the world's semiconductors while consuming 20%, a supply-demand gap the Chips Act aims to close. QuantumDiamonds' inspection tools could help European fabs improve yield and competitiveness, though the market is dominated by established players like KLA and Applied Materials.
The deal signals growing EU commitment to backing homegrown chip equipment startups, not just fabrication plants. It also highlights investor appetite for deep tech that bridges quantum sensing and industrial manufacturing—a space that remains capital-intensive and unproven at scale.
Founder background was not detailed in the announcements, and the non-dilutive portion's specific disbursement timeline was not disclosed. The round positions QD to expand its engineering team and pilot deployments with European chipmakers.