Bochum-based GEMESYS, a German AI hardware startup, has secured €8.6M in a pre-seed funding round.
The investment was led by the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund together with Atlantic Labs, with additional contributions from NRW.BANK, Sony Innovation Fund, and Silicon Valley’s Plug and Play Tech Center.
The round was also supported by grant funding from the German government.
“GEMESYS is reinventing AI hardware with a truly innovative approach to edge intelligence. Its technology isn’t just an incremental improvement—it’s a game-changer,” says Quentin Calleja from Atlantic Labs.
Capital utilisation
GEMESYS will use the funds to accelerate research and development, focusing on advancing its novel chip architecture.
The company is also expanding its team and is currently hiring for positions, including Senior C++ Developer and Senior Simulation Engineer, to support its technological growth.
GEMESYS’ approach to Edge AI
GEMESYS positions itself as Europe’s response to the dominance of AI hardware innovations in Asia and the US, aiming to establish technological independence and innovation in the AI landscape.
Developed in Germany and supported by the German government through the EXIST “Transfer of Research” funding programme, GEMESYS presents advancements in AI hardware with a focus on data privacy, efficiency, and sustainable development.
The company’s commitment to on-device AI training marks a “giant leap” toward technological sovereignty, positioning Germany and Europe as key players in the global AI industry.
Dr. Dennis Michaelis, CEO of GEMESYS, says, “At GEMESYS, our mission is to bring learning capabilities to every device through technology developed in Europe. Building on this foundation, we’re pioneering new applications that empower edge devices like never before—positioning Europe as a leader in distributed intelligence and setting a new standard for industry innovation.”
GEMESYS has developed a working hardware demonstrator and is preparing for upcoming silicon testing, which is expected to highlight the full potential of its AI chip.
Ion Hauer of APEX Ventures, adds, “We’re excited to see GEMESYS redefine what’s possible in Edge AI. Its technology can transform countless industries and push the boundaries of on-device inference and training.”
What does GEMESYS offer?
Founded by Dr. Dennis Michaelis, Dr. Enver Solan, Moritz Schmidt and Daniel Krüger, GEMESYS is advancing the field of AI with its innovative approach to on-device training.
The company’s chip design offers unmatched data and energy efficiency, allowing it to train neural networks using a fraction of the data required by traditional architectures. This enables mobile devices and sensors to process and learn directly from data at its source, expanding applications in Edge AI.
GEMESYS also supports self-learning and distributed capabilities, including outlier detection, data drift management, and model personalisation. These features bring benefits such as enhanced data privacy, offline processing, and reduced bandwidth usage—key for IoT solutions.
Additionally, GEMESYS introduces a new training methodology that compresses neural networks, improving efficiency for inference tasks.
Antonio Avitabile, MD – EMEA at Sony Ventures, says, “GEMESYS’s innovative architecture addresses the long-standing ‘von Neumann bottleneck’ while maintaining solid roots in CMOS technology essential for the supply chain. We’re thrilled to support the GEMESYS team as they pioneer a new era of energy-efficient computing.”
The company has a team of 19 employees and is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture while pursuing its mission to transform AI technology.
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