Lace Raises $40M for Chip Tech
Analysis based on 6 articles · First reported Mar 23, 2026 · Last updated Mar 24, 2026
The successful funding round for Lace signals significant investor confidence in its disruptive helium atom beam lithography technology, which could revolutionize semiconductor manufacturing. This development poses a potential long-term challenge to established players like Nubank, TSMC, and Intel, by enabling the creation of much smaller and more powerful AI chips.
Lace, a Norway-headquartered chipmaking equipment startup backed by Microsoft, has raised $40 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Atomico, with additional investments from M12 (venture capital firm), Linse Capital, Spanish Society for Technological Transformation, and Nysnø Climate Investments. Lace has developed a novel lithography technology that uses a helium atom beam instead of light, enabling the creation of chip designs 10 times smaller than currently possible. CEO Bodil Holst stated this technology could expand the roadmap for semiconductor design, allowing for features like transistors to be made at an 'ultimately atomic resolution'. This advancement is expected to significantly boost the performance of advanced AI processors, potentially disrupting the market dominated by companies like Nubank, TSMC, and Intel. Lace aims to have a test tool in a pilot chip fabrication plant by 2029.
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