From lab breakthrough to next-gen fab process.

Founded:

2019

Tech

Semiconductors

Forward.one entry point:

Seed (continued in Series A)

Headquarters

Lund, Sweden

The Challenge

Advanced chips keep shrinking, while costs, complexity, and energy use grow even faster. EUV and multi-patterning have become the choke points of Moore’s Law, pushing fabs into trillion-euro capex while every new node gets harder to justify.

AlixLabs set out to rewrite this equation with Atomic Layer Etch Pitch Splitting (APS™): a breakthrough ALE process that delivers ultra-fine patterns without piling on costly EUV steps and multi-patterning complexity.

FORWARD.one involvement

We backed AlixLabs at seed when APS was a lab-scale demonstration and the industry still treated ALE pitch splitting as a curiosity. We invested to help the team prove their process on real wafers, under real fab constraints, and build a business around it.

Since then, we’ve continued with additional capital in the Series A and support at board level. Arjan Göbel represents FORWARD.one on the board, bringing hardware and semicon equipment expertise into every strategic decision, from beta-tool roadmap to OEM engagement. We were chosen by CEO Jonas Sundqvist specifically for that hardware experience, and we use it to keep the company focused on one thing: getting APS adopted in high-volume manufacturing.

Our vision is to make advanced semiconductor scaling accessible again. APS lets the world push Moore’s Law further without adding complexity or cost.

Dr. Jonas Sundqvist

Co-founder & CEO

Results

Turning a scientific accident into a new scaling path:

€14.1M Series A led by Navigare Ventures, Industrifonden, and FORWARD.one to push APS from validation into industrial reality and accelerate beta testing.
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SEK 40M seed round backed by Navigare Ventures, Industrifonden, and FORWARD.one to industrialize APS as an energy-efficient alternative to EUV-heavy patterning.
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From lab demo to 300 mm wafers: APS demonstrated on industry-leading 300 mm wafers at UMC, doubling fin density without EUV and confirming robustness across tools and fabs.
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Stronger IP position: multiple patents granted across Europe, the US, and Asia covering APS and key ALE innovations, securing freedom to operate and licensing potential.