Norway’s Lace Lithography secures €34.5M to rethink chipmaking
Norwegian deeptech startup Lace Lithography has raised €34.5 million in fresh funding to develop a radically new approach to semiconductor manufacturing that replaces light with atoms. The company’s technology aims to extend Moore’s Law as traditional optical lithography approaches fundamental physical limits.
Replacing light with atoms
Conventional chip fabrication relies on light-based photolithography to etch ever-smaller features onto silicon wafers. As transistor dimensions approach the scale of a few nanometers, the cost and complexity of pushing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) systems further is becoming prohibitive. Lace Lithography is developing an alternative that uses precisely controlled beams of neutral atoms instead of photons to pattern materials at the atomic scale.
This atom-based approach promises sharper pattern definition, reduced line-edge roughness and potentially lower energy consumption in future semiconductor manufacturing lines. If successful, it could enable chipmakers to continue scaling logic and memory devices without relying solely on ever more powerful and expensive light sources.
Funding to industrialize atomic lithography
The €34.5 million round will allow Lace Lithography to move from laboratory prototypes toward industrial-grade tools suitable for integration into advanced foundry environments. The capital is expected to support hiring in nanofabrication, vacuum systems, and control electronics, as well as the construction of demonstration systems for pilot customers in the semiconductor and quantum computing sectors.
Industry observers see the company’s work as part of a broader wave of post-optical patterning technologies, including electron-beam lithography and direct-write techniques. By leveraging atoms as the patterning medium, Lace Lithography is positioning itself as a potential enabler of next-generation chips used in AI accelerators, high-performance computing, and advanced sensor systems.
Implications for Moore’s Law and Europe’s chip ambitions
As global demand for computing power accelerates, maintaining progress in device density and energy efficiency is a strategic priority for both industry and governments. Technologies like those under development at Lace Lithography could help keep Moore’s Law relevant while supporting Europe’s ambition to build a more resilient and competitive semiconductor ecosystem.
While significant engineering challenges remain, the latest funding round signals growing investor confidence that atom-based lithography can move from experimental physics into real-world chip production over the coming decade.