Semiconductors are a vital component in all electronic devices, from smartphones and laptops to electric cars. Over the past few years, Europe has been a leader in semiconductor manufacturing, with the continent attracting a large number of start-ups and factories.
Geopolitical tensions have forced European semiconductor start-ups to rethink their strategies after losing the Chinese market this year, and they are now looking to enter new markets in Asia and the Middle East.
Despite these challenges, the global semiconductor market continues to grow, with sales expected to exceed $500 billion in 2022. Europe, through the European Chip Act, aims to double the region’s share of the global semiconductor market by 2030.
These growing European semiconductor start-ups are testament to the region’s commitment to innovation and competitiveness in the semiconductor industry.
Practical
Founder: Scott White
Founded in: 2007
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Hiring: Yes, check out our job listings here
UK-based Pragmatic manufactures ultra-thin microcircuits for mass-market products and packages. The semiconductor start-up is disrupting the industry with its ultra-low-cost Flexible Integrated Circuit (FlexIC) technology.
FlexICs are thinner than a human hair and are embedded into objects that can be used for a variety of purposes. Pragmatic produces these products using its large manufacturing facility in Durham.
The company plans to build at least eight manufacturing facilities in the UK over the next five years, each capable of producing billions of chips, accelerating the production of electronics across multiple sectors.
Novelda
Founders: Dag T. Wisland, Eirik Næss-Ulseth, Tor Sverre Lande, Einar Nygård
Founded in: 2004
Hiring: Yes, check out our job listings here
Norway-based Novelda specializes in nanoscale ultra-wideband (UWB) radar technology, and its sensors provide the world’s most accurate, intelligent and reliable human presence detection.
Novelda’s XeThru sensor technology can be used for human vital signs monitoring, personal security, environmental monitoring, and industrial automation, and in 2024, The Wall Street Journal named the company’s innovation one of the top 16 gadgets.
Accelera AI
Founders: Cyril Vancura, Fabrizio Del Maffeo, Evangelos Eleftheriou, Valery Vavilov
Established in: 2021
Hiring: Yes, check out our job listings here
Dutch semiconductor startup Axelera AI is focused on developing next-generation AI hardware and software for edge computing, with the advantage that its platform is cheaper and consumes less energy than current solutions.
The company unveiled two chips (the AI Processing Unit) and a software and hardware platform (Metis AI). The company’s technology combines hardware and software to shrink AI processing from an entire server onto a single chip.
Last year, the startup secured a €46.25 million investment in June to expand in the U.S. The company’s rapid growth has earned it a place on The Tech Tour Growth50 Europe 2024 list.
Schneison
Founders: Peter Milenkovic, Ryan O’Donovan, Guojun Qin
Established: 2016
Hiring: None
Xunison is an Irish technology company that develops both hardware and software from the ground up. The company aims to become the leading provider of all-in-one broadband delivery and in-home services in the telecoms and ISP markets.
The company’s products include a cloud-based management platform, a consumer app (Xunison app), smart devices, 5G devices and other connected services. One of its main targets is smart home users.
Raw charging
Founder: Bruce Galliford
Established: 2018
Hiring: Yes, check out our job listings here
Raw Charging is a leading supplier of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for businesses and drivers. The UK-based company assesses locations before deploying suitable EV technology, offering a better solution than a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
One of the company’s largest customers is Merlin Enterprises, which ordered 38 charging bays across the Legoland Windsor resort in April this year. In addition to Merlin Enterprises, Raw Charging also works with a number of companies across the hospitality, leisure and retail industries.
Senkyu
Founder: Jurryt Vellinga
Established in: 2021
Hiring: Yes, check out our job listings here
Netherlands-based Sencure provides medical devices for monitoring and diagnostics. The company develops innovative chip technology to improve vital signs monitoring solutions for remote, in-hospital or wearable health tracking.
The company uses electrophysiology to analyze bioelectrical data from the heart, brain, respiratory system and muscles, and combines it with posture and movement data to monitor patient health.
Sencure secured €5 million in a funding round in July 2023. The company will use the funds to commercialize its flagship health monitoring product, the SNCE-800 chip, which boasts superior power efficiency.
A4 Cell
Founders: Alberto Hernandez, Jaume Esteve Tinto, José Antonio Plaza, Juan Pablo Agucil
Established: 2018
Hiring: None
Arrays for Cell Nanodevices (A4Cell) is a Spanish biotech startup offering innovative monitoring and drug discovery tools. The company has developed a new technology called SPAchip (Suspended Planar Array Chips) for tracking live single cells.
The product is in line with the growing trend to move away from animal testing in drug research and lean towards cell-based methods. The SPAchip technology is groundbreaking as it provides valuable information without disturbing living cells.
A4Cell’s latest funding round took place in October 2023. It secured €3 million from CDTI, BeAble Capital and Dreavent.
Energy Dome
Founders: Claudio Spadacini, Dario Rizzi, Francesco Oppici
Established: 2019
Hiring: Yes, check out our job listings here
Energy Dome is a Spanish startup developing a unique CO2 battery for the transmission of solar and wind power – a long-term energy storage device that could revolutionize renewable energy technology.
According to the company, CO2 battery technology allows for location-independent storage of large amounts of energy anywhere for long periods of time. The product is the startup’s way of realizing the decarbonization movement for a better future. This year, the company is gearing up to complete a 200MWh CO2 battery project by the end of 2024.
