Eindhoven’s FononTech lands €8.5M; delivers first Impulse Printing machine to a major semiconductor firm

Eindhoven-based FononTech, a deep-tech startup specialising in advanced microelectronics manufacturing, has secured €8.5M in a seed funding round led by Sake Bosch, the founder of Prime Ventures.

Sake Bosch says  “FononTech is creating a new equipment category, not only in semiconductors, but also in the display industry. With over 100 years of experience in the leadership team and sales  potential of €1 billion within 5 years, we have exciting times ahead.”

Other participating investors include Innovation Industries, Brabant Development Agency (BOM), TNO, SHIFT Invest, and grant funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator.

The company will use the funds to finalise the development of its first product and accelerate customer acquisition efforts. The announcement comes two years after raising €2.3M in a seed round of funding.

Notably, within just two years of its inception, the company has successfully delivered its first Impulse Printing machine to a major semiconductor company.

CEO and Co-founder, Rob Hendriks, says. “We are very pleased with our investor team as their commitment has enabled us to move quickly and convert market traction into sales. In just 2 years, we successfully delivered our first machine to a major semiconductor company.”

FononTech: Impulse printing

Founded in 2022 as a spin-off of TNO at Holst Centre in Eindhoven, FononTech focuses on impulse printing, a technology to print small electronic circuits for electronic devices.

Typically, lithography is used to electronically connect chips. However, today’s lithography-based processes consist of many complex steps with high carbon emission rates that are difficult to reduce.

FononTech is already busy creating a team of engineers to work on their first industrial R&D system: the Impulse Beta Tool.

With Impulse Printing technology, micro-electronics manufacturing can be reduced by a factor of 1000. 

With its headquarters in Eindhoven and sales offices in South Korea, Japan, and North America, the Dutch company is strategically positioned to serve a global clientele.

CTO and Co-founder, Fabien Bruning, says, “It is great to see the customer interest in Impulse Printing accelerate so quickly. There are already signs of it being recognized as a key solution to integration and performance challenges, especially in advanced packaging.”