Nearfield Instruments, a Rotterdam-based startup that specialises in atom-scale metrology, started 2021 on a high note. From starting a Korean subsidiary to signing up a long-term partnership with Eindhoven-based VDL ETG, it is safe to say the Dutch company is on the right course.
Secured €12M
Recently, Nearfield Instruments has secured a €12M in equity funding, bringing the total funding raised to €48.5M. This investment comes over a month after raising €17.5M as part of its Series B round of funding.
The latest funding came from existing shareholders like Eugene Investment & Securities, a Korean financial services firm, and Innovation Industries Fund, a Dutch independent venture capital fund.
“This funding round is the validation of the significant progress we have achieved with QUADRA after shipment to the customer’s fab and the role our technology is set to have in new semiconductor device manufacturing. We are excited to be able to accelerate engagements with more customers, scaling up the organisation, and bringing our second product line to the market, being non-destructive subsurface nano-scale metrology,” comments Hamed Sadeghian, CEO of Nearfield Instruments.
Back in May, Hamed Sadeghian was appointed as CEO next to his current role as President and CTO.
A bit about investors
Innovation Industries is a Deeptech venture capital investor that invests up to €30M in Hightech, Agri & Foodtech and Medtech businesses.
Currently, Innovation Industries manages over €275M across two funds and has a team of 15 investment professionals. Its largest investors are the Dutch pension funds PME and PMT.
EUGENE, a Korean financial services firm, provides direct investments to promising companies with long-term growth potential.
Spin-off of TNO
Founded by Roland van Vliet and Hamed Sadeghian in 2016, Nearfield Instruments is a spin-off of TNO (the Netherlands Organisation for applied scientific research). The company operates from Rotterdam (head office) and Eindhoven (High TechCampus). Currently, it employs 110 employees.
The Dutch company develops and markets process control metrology solutions that can measure essential 3D nanostructures in a non-destructive manner during the manufacturing process of microchips. Notably, the company’s customers are global microchip manufacturers.
What makes NFI’s metrology solutions unique?
The technique developed by the company is based on “Scanning Probe Microscopy” (SPM), which scans the surface in three dimensions with an atomically sharp tip.
Unlike other metrology technologies, which often work based on electrons or light (photons), the Rotterdam-based company features an enhanced SPM to achieve significant measurement speeds, and non-destructively measure complex 3D structures, both on the surface and below the surface.
NFI has developed two new products and metrology technologies based on SPM (Surface Probe Metrology), “QUADRA,” and SSPM (Sub-Surface Probe Metrology)
Partnership with VDL ETG
A few days back, Nearfield Instrument has signed a long-term partnership with VDL ETG. Eindhoven-based VDL ETG is a contract manufacturer that offers production machines, vacuum equipment & accurate positioning systems.
The partnership aims to support Nearfield Instruments’ development, delivery, and value engineering of several critical modules for its products, including the QUADRA product line.
Korean subsidiary
Last month, Nearfield Instruments established its Korean subsidiary, with its headquarters in Hwaseong. With this move, the company focuses on Korean customer service and joint development activities as well as R&D to accelerate NFI’s roadmap. It’s worth mentioning that the Korean office is NFI’s first overseas office and its third location.
