The market for computer chips is booming, and amid that momentum, Black Semiconductor is attracting growing attention with a bold technological promise. The start-up from Aachen says it has developed a technology that could increase semiconductor performance by a factor of 10,000. That claim is now being backed by a planned €500 million funding round, with 70 percent expected to come from the state and 30 percent from private investors.
At the center of Black Semiconductor’s vision is graphene, a carbon-based material with exceptional optical properties. The company is working on technology that would use light to transfer data between chips, a concept that could significantly change how semiconductors operate. The idea was developed by co-founder Daniel Schall, who reportedly spent more than a year trying to secure funding for the venture.
Confidence in Schall’s vision has since grown. Among the investors expected to take part in the next round are prominent figures such as Hermann Hauser, co-founder of chip designer ARM, and Andreas von Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems.
The broader political environment is also favorable. The European Union is pushing to strengthen its position in the global chip market through the Chips Act, which aims to double Europe’s share of worldwide semiconductor production by 2030. That effort is being supported by €43 billion in public funding, creating additional momentum for companies like Black Semiconductor.
Although the company is still years away from profitability, its ambitions are clear. Black Semiconductor does not just want to enter the chip market, but to fundamentally reshape it. With its distinctive technology and significant financial backing, the start-up could become one of the most closely watched players in Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem.