FononTech, a deep-tech startup based in Eindhoven, has raised €8.5 million in a seed funding round. The company specialises in advanced manufacturing technologies for microelectronics.
The round was led by Sake Bosch, founder of Prime Ventures. Bosch praised the startup’s innovation, stating, “FononTech is creating a new category of equipment—not only for semiconductors but also for the display industry. With over 100 years of combined experience on the leadership team and a potential to reach €1 billion in sales within five years, the future looks promising.”
Other investors in the round include Innovation Industries, the Brabant Development Agency (BOM), TNO, SHIFT Invest, and grant support from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator.
FononTech plans to use the new funding to finalise its first commercial product and expand its customer base. This announcement comes just two years after the company raised €2.3 million in an earlier seed round.
In a major milestone, FononTech has also delivered its first Impulse Printing machine to a leading semiconductor company. The delivery was completed within just two years of the company’s founding.
“We are very pleased with our investor team,” said Rob Hendriks, CEO and Co-founder. “Their support helped us move fast and turn early interest into our first sale. In just two years, we delivered our first machine to a major semiconductor player.”
A New Approach: Impulse Printing
FononTech was founded in 2022 as a spin-off from TNO at the Holst Centre in Eindhoven. The company focuses on impulse printing—a novel technique for printing tiny electronic circuits used in devices.
Traditionally, chip connections are made using lithography. However, this process is complex and has a high carbon footprint. FononTech’s impulse printing offers a simpler and cleaner alternative.
The company claims that its technology can reduce manufacturing steps in microelectronics by a factor of 1,000.
FononTech is currently building a team of engineers to develop its first industrial R&D system, called the Impulse Beta Tool.
The company’s headquarters are in Eindhoven, with sales offices in South Korea, Japan, and North America. This global presence allows FononTech to serve customers worldwide.
Fabien Bruning, CTO and Co-founder, said, “It’s exciting to see such fast-growing interest in our technology. Impulse Printing is already being seen as a key solution to the integration and performance challenges in advanced packaging.”
