LIDROTEC receives 13.5 million US dollars for the further development of laser-based chip dispensing

Deep-tech startup LIDROTEC has closed a Series A-2 financing round of 13.5 million US dollars. The round was jointly led by Lam Capital, the corporate venture arm of semiconductor equipment manufacturer Lam Research, and Goose Capital. Other new investors are ZEISS Ventures and NRW.BANK.

Tech for precise, material-friendly chip deposition

LIDROTEC develops laser systems for the high-precision processing of semiconductor wafers, in particular for dicing, i.e. cutting chips from a wafer. The company combines laser processing with a liquid process for simultaneous cooling and cleaning. According to the start-up, this reduces thermal stress, particle residues and material damage. This should lead to lower breakage rates and higher yields.

Lidrotec is a pioneering start-up. It has the potential to make an important contribution to resource-conserving and significantly more productive processes in the semiconductor industry with technology made in Bochum.

Thorsten Reuter, Head of Digital Economy & Technology at NRW.Venture

The technology is particularly suitable for sensitive materials that are difficult to process, such as thin or hard-coated semiconductors. Target markets include power electronics, photonics and advanced packaging.

Financing for scaling and market entry

The fresh capital will be used in particular for product development, preparing for market entry and expanding the team. According to the company, LIDROTEC now intends to market its systems internationally with the support of the investors.

This financing is an important step for us in the commercialization of our technology. The partnerships with strategic investors provide us with both technical and operational support.

Alexander Igelmann, co-founder and CEO of LIDROTEC

Strong investor base from industry and the region

In addition to the new investors, existing investors have also invested again. Goose Capital, which has supported LIDROTEC since the seed phase, has, according to its own information, made a disproportionately large investment. Gründerfonds Ruhr and other existing investors were also involved.

Investors emphasized the company's technical maturity and potential relevance for the semiconductor industry. Lam Capital emphasizes that LIDROTEC attracted attention early on through its participation in their Venture Competition 2024.

LIDROTEC addresses key challenges in wafer processing.

Mike Gaenssler from ZEISS Ventures

LIDROTEC was founded in Bochum in 2021 and is active in the field of semiconductor manufacturing.t. The global market for semiconductor equipment has recently grown strongly, driven by increasing demand for specialized chips for AI, power electronics and communication technologies, for example