QuantumDiamonds Raises €91M To Scale Quantum Chip Inspection In Munich
Munich-based QuantumDiamonds closed a €91M round combining €15M equity from World Fund with €76M of EU Chips Act funding to scale diamond-sensor semiconductor inspection.
Key Takeaways
QuantumDiamonds closed a €91M round on July 9, 2026: €15M equity led by World Fund plus €76M non-dilutive EU Chips Act funding, making it the first startup to receive manufacturing support under the Act.
The Munich-based TUM spin-out uses atomic-scale defects in synthetic diamonds to image nanoscale current flow; its QDm.1 system offers non-destructive 3D defect localization in advanced chip architectures.
Nine of the world's top ten semiconductor manufacturers are engaged with the technology, with systems installed at Eurofins EAG Laboratories (Sunnyvale) and Integrated Service Technology (Hsinchu, Taiwan).
The company will more than double its 70-person engineering team within 12 months and open the first section of a €152M Munich production facility later this year.
World Fund's Daria Saharova says QuantumDiamonds could become Europe's next ASML in a $104B semiconductor equipment market driven by AI demand.
Kaan Tınmaz
QuantumDiamonds, the Munich spin-out that images nanoscale current inside advanced chips with synthetic diamond sensors, has closed a €91 million funding round, becoming the first startup to receive manufacturing support under the European Chips Act.
€15M equity plus €76M Chips Act non-dilutive funding
Announced on July 9, 2026, the round combines a €15 million equity investment led by World Fund with €76 million of non-dilutive funding approved at EU level under the European Chips Act, jointly delivered by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Free State of Bavaria. Bayern Kapital joined the equity round alongside existing backers IQ Capital, Earlybird, First Momentum, UnternehmerTUM Funding for Innovators, Creator Fund and Onsight Ventures.
Diamond quantum sensors that see current flow
Spun out of the Technical University of Munich in 2022 by CEO Kevin Berghoff and CTO Dr. Fleming Bruckmaier, QuantumDiamonds uses atomic-scale defects in synthetic diamonds to detect magnetic fields with extreme precision — effectively a microscope that sees electricity flowing through a chip. Its first commercial system, the QDm.1, delivers non-destructive 3D current imaging at the nanoscale, pinpointing the location and depth of buried defects in complex 3D chip architectures.
Nine of the top 10 chipmakers already engaged
QuantumDiamonds says nine of the world's top ten semiconductor manufacturers are engaged with its technology, with lab systems installed at Eurofins EAG Laboratories in Sunnyvale, California and Integrated Service Technology in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The company plans to more than double its 70-person engineering team over the next 12 months and open the first operational section of a €152 million production facility in Munich later this year. World Fund managing partner Daria Saharova said the company could become Europe's next ASML in a $104 billion equipment market that the AI economy depends on.
Europe's Chips Act 2.0 momentum
The award lands as Europe accelerates its semiconductor strategy under the EU Chips Act 2.0, and as neighbours Anthropic and Samsung and Micron in Japan pour capital into new fabs. It also opens a fresh European deeptech unicorn track alongside quantum-computing peers.
Reporting based on coverage from The Quantum Insider and QuantumDiamonds.
How much funding did QuantumDiamonds raise and from whom?
QuantumDiamonds raised €91 million: a €15 million equity round led by World Fund with Bayern Kapital and existing investors including IQ Capital, Earlybird, First Momentum, UnternehmerTUM Funding for Innovators, Creator Fund and Onsight Ventures, plus €76 million of non-dilutive European Chips Act funding delivered by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Free State of Bavaria.
What does QuantumDiamonds' technology do?
It uses atomic-scale defects in synthetic diamonds to detect magnetic fields with extreme precision, effectively acting as a microscope that sees electricity flowing through a chip. Its first commercial system, the QDm.1, provides non-destructive 3D current imaging at the nanoscale to pinpoint the location and depth of buried defects in complex 3D chip architectures.
Why is this funding round significant for Europe?
QuantumDiamonds is the first startup to receive manufacturing support under the European Chips Act, and the award arrives as Europe accelerates its semiconductor strategy under Chips Act 2.0. World Fund suggests the company could become Europe's next ASML in a $104 billion equipment market.
What are QuantumDiamonds' expansion plans?
The company plans to more than double its 70-person engineering team over the next 12 months and open the first operational section of a €152 million production facility in Munich later this year.
