Nearfield Instruments Secures $331M

A Dutch startup called Nearfield Instruments just landed a massive 331 million euro funding round, pushing its valuation to 1.6 billion euros. Specializing in ultra-precise chip inspection tech, they use nanoscale probes to create 3D atomic-level images of chips without damaging them — critical for AI-era semiconductors where even tiny deviations can ruin performance. Demand has exploded, with deliveries up 400% in 18 months, and their systems are now installed in top AI chip factories worldwide. Originally spun out of TNO research in 2016, the company now counts Fidelity and Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund among new backers. CEO Hamed Sadeghian says the cash will fuel product development, production scaling, and global expansion — while also navigating geopolitical uncertainty that’s reshaping the industry. This funding is a major vote of confidence in the invisible infrastructure keeping our digital world running flawlessly. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f1e43f9a56be3931