INCIRT, an
Aachen-based deeptech company, has closed a €4.8 million funding round led by
Lifeline Ventures, with participation from High-Tech Gründerfonds.
INCIRT is
developing a new generation of data converters capable of delivering up to 100
times faster data conversion than conventional approaches. Instead of relying
on increasingly smaller and more costly manufacturing nodes, the company’s
technology addresses key semiconductor limitations through a new system
architecture based on intelligent parallelisation.
Data converters are
a critical component in modern communication and sensor systems, determining
how efficiently data is transferred between digital systems and real-world
applications. INCIRT’s approach rethinks this building block from the ground
up, focusing on architectural innovation rather than incremental improvements.
Our architecture
enables performance gains that are difficult to achieve with conventional
semiconductor approaches, while demonstrating that high-performance chips can
be realised using European manufacturing,
said Oner Hanay, co-founder and CEO
of INCIRT.
The technology has
already been implemented as a working silicon chip produced using 22-nanometer
technology in Europe, enabling high-performance semiconductor production
without reliance on advanced non-European nodes and strengthening the regional
value chain for critical infrastructure.
The company targets
data- and energy-intensive sectors such as satellite communications and
telecoms. Its technology enables higher data throughput with lower energy use
in satellites, while in telecommunications, it supports increased network
capacity, reduced costs, and readiness for future network evolution beyond 5G.
The funding will be
used to advance product development, validate the technology, and prepare
initial customer projects and market entry, while supporting the
commercialisation of INCIRT’s chip architecture and contributing to Europe’s
digital sovereignty.