Fundraising Fox
imec.xpand
Venture capitalOperating companyLeuven · Seed–Series A · 12 people tracked
Not to be confused with Imec.xpand (Accelerator · Leuven, BE)
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Investment thesis
imec.xpand backs transformative semiconductor and nanotechnology innovations where imec's contributions can meaningfully influence the success of a company's technology development. The fund concentrates on early-stage deeptech ventures, combining deep technological expertise with a hands-on approach. Its close ties to imec position the team to assess technology risk in these companies and support their growth from nanotechnology research into commercial businesses.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.
Team · 12 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 32 of 49 portfolio companiesDeep Tech ×24Hardware ×19Semiconductors ×16AI & Machine Learning ×11Medical Devices ×6Healthtech ×5Digital Health ×3Robotics ×3
HQs:Belgium×7Netherlands×4United States×4Germany×2Australia×1Switzerland×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 18 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×62 founders×43 founders×44+ founders×4
What their founders studiedfrom 16 founders with field-of-study data
Engineering ×8Physics ×4Chemistry ×2Computer Science ×2
Investments · 49 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 12021 · 23 dated
Aerospacelab designs, builds, and operates satellite infrastructure, including platforms, payloads, subsystems, and operations for Earth observation, intelligence, and connectivity missions ranging from single in-orbit demonstrations to full constellations.
Deep TechDefense TechHardwareSpace TechNot specified on page, BE
Benoît Deper(Founder)in
Co-investorsAirbus VenturesIndustrious VenturesSambrinvestXAngeEuropean Investment Bank
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Axelera AI develops hardware and software platforms for artificial intelligence inference at the edge, including specialized processors and accelerators for edge computing, computer vision, natural language processing, and automotive applications.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareSemiconductorsEindhoven, NL
Fabrizio Del Maffeo(Founder)inEvangelos Eleftheriou(Founder)inBram-Ernst Verhoef(Founder)Ioannis Papistas(Founder)
Co-investorsInnovation IndustriesSamsung Catalyst FundVerve VenturesBlackRockEuropean Innovation Council FundInvest-NL+3 more
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Axithra, a spin-off from Ghent University's Photonics Research Group and imec, develops an optics- and photonics-based platform for therapeutic drug monitoring that measures and monitors drug concentrations in blood at the point of care.
Deep TechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices
Co-investorsKurma PartnersQbic FundWhite FundWallonie Entreprendre
The page describes Photonic Fabric, an optical interconnect technology platform for the scale-up interconnect market that enables high-bandwidth, power-efficient links for AI data center infrastructure.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechSector AgnosticSemiconductorsSanta Clara, US
Preetinder Virk(Chief Operating Officer)David Lazovsky(Founder)inKelyn Brannon(Chief Financial Officer)Philip Winterbottom(Chief Technology Officer)inDave Lazovsky(Founder)Preet Virk(Founder)
Co-investorsFitz Gate VenturesIAG Capital PartnersKoch Disruptive TechnologiesM VenturesSamsung Catalyst FundThe Engine Ventures+11 more
Clevon develops and manufactures autonomous delivery robots for last-mile logistics that are designed to reduce energy consumption and support climate-neutral operations.
CleantechLogistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationRoboticsTallinn, EE
Arno Kütt(CEO/Chairman)
Co-investorsEnvoyKleiner PerkinsNESsTRed Forest CapitalTera VenturesTrind Ventures
Density AI designs custom AI accelerators optimized for frontier-scale large language model inference, combining near-memory compute architecture with high-bandwidth memory density.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechMountain View, US
Ben Floering(Founder)Bill Chang(Founder)Ganesh Venkat(Founder)
Co-investorsDolby Family VenturesFirestreak VenturesHyphen CapitalNextGen Venture PartnersSouth Park CommonsStartX+5 more
Diraq develops quantum computers based on modified silicon transistors, aiming for utility-scale quantum processing units the size of a single data-center rack.
Deep TechHardwareQuantum Computing
Andrew Dzurak(Founder)in
Co-investorsDefence TrailblazerIn-Q-TelQbeat VenturesQuantonationUniSeed Pty Ltd.Main Sequence Ventures+1 more
Eyeo develops nanophotonic color-splitting technology for image sensors that captures more incoming light than traditional color filters.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductors
Fabric8Labs develops Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing (ECAM), a room-temperature metal 3D printing technology that produces dense, high-purity metal parts with micron-scale resolution and no post-processing.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechHardwareSemiconductorsSan Diego, US
Jeffrey Herman(Executive Officer, Director)David Pain(Founder)inDavid Wirth(Founder)Jeff Herman(Founder)
BoardCyril Vancura(Director)inGreg Papadopoulos(Director)in
Co-investorsIntel CapitalLam CapitalMarunouchi Innovation PartnersSE VenturesTDK VenturesEricsson Ventures+7 more
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FMC is a semiconductor company developing non-volatile memory solutions, spun from EU research institutions with R&D and manufacturing operations across Europe, the US, Japan, and Taiwan.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsDresden, DE
Thomas Rueckes(Chief Executive Officer)inAyman Abouelwafa(Chief Product Officer)inNorm Armour(Chief Operating Officer)inRaj Jammy(President Global BU & CTO)in
Co-investorsBosch VenturesDeepTech & Climate FondsTEL Venture Capital, Inc.HV CapitalM VenturesUniversal Materials Incubator+2 more
INBRAIN Neuroelectronics develops graphene-based brain-computer therapeutics that combine neural signal decoding with AI to enable precision, adaptive treatments for neurological disorders.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechMedical DevicesBarcelona, ES
Carolina Aguilar(CEO and founder)inKostas Kostarelos(Chair of the Vision Board & Co-Founder)Antòn Guimerà(Co-founder)Jerome Crocco(COO)inJurriaan Bakker(CTO)inEduard Ros(Interim CFO)in
Co-investorsAsabys PartnersBStartupVsquared VenturesAliath Bioventures
Indigo is developing an implantable continuous multi-metabolite monitoring (CMM) sensor based on silicon photonics that measures metabolites such as glucose, ketone, and lactate in real time, with data shown via a smartphone app.
Digital HealthHardwareMedical Devices
Danaë Delbeke(CTO and Founder)in
Co-investorsFund+
Invisix develops soft x-ray metrology tools that use shortened illumination wavelengths to measure 3D semiconductor structures too small for optical metrology.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsEindhoven, NL
Christina Porter(Co-founder & CEO)inSietse van der Post(Co-founder & CTO)inRoald Dogge(COO)inHens van Ooijen(CFO)in
Co-investorsHitachi VenturesTransitionTransition Global
Luma Vision develops advanced imaging technologies focused on cardiology to provide cardiologists with comprehensive, evidence-based understanding of patient heart conditions.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechMedical Devices
Fionn Lahart(Founder)inChristoph Hennersperger(Founder)
Co-investorsAtlantic Bridge VenturesBayern KapitalTheVentureCity
Micledi develops microLED display technology and solutions for the semiconductor and display industries.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsAntwerp, BE
Marc Wachsmuth(CEO)in
Co-investorsPMVKBC Focus Fund
Mojo Vision develops micro-LED technology, positioning it as a platform for AI infrastructure and next-generation displays.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductors
Nikhil Balram(Chief Executive Officer)inMike Wiemer(Chief Technology Officer)inG. Aaron James(General Counsel)inDrew Perkins(Founder)Michael Deering(Founder)Michael Wiemer(Founder)
Co-investorsARC Angel FundArgonautic VenturesBold Capital PartnersDisney AcceleratorDolby Family VenturesFlucas Ventures+20 more
Morrow Eyewear manufactures electronic eyeglasses with liquid crystal lenses that adjust focus via a button-activated electric pulse, enabling wearers to shift vision between near and far distances in under a second.
ConsumerHardwareHealthtechWellness & Fitness
Co-investorsNew Science VenturesZEISS Ventures
Nagi Bioscience provides in vivo toxicity testing services using organism-on-chip technology with C. elegans models, serving pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotech companies seeking faster, ethical alternatives to traditional animal testing.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechLongevityMedical DevicesNot stated, CH
Dr. Matteo Cornaglia(CEO and co-founder)Dr. Laurent Mouchiroud(CSO and co-founder)
Co-investorsExcellis HoldingVerve Ventures
NEURA Robotics develops cognitive robots equipped with AI and perception capabilities that learn and collaborate with humans in physical environments.
AI & Machine LearningHardwareRoboticsMetzingen, DE
David Reger(Founder)in
Co-investorsC4 VenturesGerman Startups GroupGrazia Equity GmbHHoltzbrinck VenturesHV CapitalPRIMEPULSE SE+6 more
Dense, scalable, low-power optics breaking the data-center I/O wall.
Co-investorsMatrixTDK VenturesEricsson Ventures
Onera Health provides clinical-grade remote diagnostics and monitoring solutions for healthcare professionals, with an initial focus on sleep health.
Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesEindhoven, NL
Co-investors15th RockEQT Life SciencesGimvInnovation Industries
Optalysys is a photonic computing company using silicon photonics to turn the optical layer into an arithmetic engine for high-performance computing.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsLeeds, GB
Co-investorsAnglia Capital GroupNorthern GritstoneVerve VenturesExor
Planet Mojo was a web3 gaming ecosystem of interoperable PvP and eSports titles that shut its games down in mid-2025 to pivot to AI video.
Co-investorsARC Angel FundCourtside VenturesDisney AcceleratorFrame VCInventureRaptor Group+6 more
PsiQuantum builds fault-tolerant quantum computers using photonic qubits and semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Deep TechHardwareQuantum ComputingSemiconductorsMoreton Bay, AU
Prof. Terry Rudolph(Co-founder & Chief Architect)Dr. Pete Shadbolt(Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer)inProf. Mark Thompson(Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer)Jeremy O'Brien(Founder)inVictor Peng(Chief Executive Officer)inMark Thompson(Founder)
Co-investorsAtomicoBlackbird VenturesC4 VenturesCold Start VenturesFOG VenturesFounders Fund+38 more
Q.ANT builds photonic processors that execute non-linear operations natively in the analog domain, aimed at reducing data movement and energy use for AI and high-performance computing workloads.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechSemiconductors
Michael Foertsch(Founder)Michael Förtsch(Founder)Michael Förtsch in(Founder)
Co-investorsEuropean Super Angels ClubGrazia Equity GmbHKinled HoldingLEA PartnersOnsight VenturesUVC Partners+1 more
SCIL develops high-volume imprint (nanoimprint) lithography systems for photonics and optics manufacturing, offering feature resolution down to 10 nanometers on wafers up to 300mm.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsEindhoven, NL
Rob Voorkamp(Founder)in
Co-investorsBOM
Spectricity develops spectral sensing solutions using CMOS technology for consumer and mobile devices.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareSemiconductorsBelgium, BE
Glenn Vandevoorde(CEO)
BoardPieter Vorenkamp(Chairman of the Board)
Co-investorsAtlantic Bridge VenturesCapricorn Venture PartnersShanghai Pudong Science and Technology Investment
Swave operates the "Beleef" loyalty app that gives shoppers automatic rewards — free consumptions at local hospitality venues and free parking — when they spend in participating city-center stores, either by paying with a linked bank card/Payconiq or by scanning receipts.
ConsumerFintechRetail TechKortrijk, BE
Co-investorsimec.istartPitchdrive
Swave Photonics designs and markets holographic extended reality chips based on diffractive photonics technology for immersive, ultra-high-resolution displays.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductorsLeuven, BE
Dmitri Choutov(Founder)Theodore Marescaux(Founder)
Co-investorsAcequia Capital (AceCap)
Vertical Compute is a European deep-tech startup developing chiplets that place vertical columns of data directly next to processing cores, using vertical memory concepts combined with nano-magnetism to accelerate AI workloads.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductors
Sylvain Dubois(Founder)
Co-investorsXAngeKima VenturesNano VenturesQuantonation
Wise Integration is a fabless deeptech company developing digitally-controlled gallium nitride (GaN) power integrated circuits and digital controllers for high-frequency, high-efficiency power conversion.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductors
Ghislain Kaiser(CEO)in
Co-investorsSupernova Invest
xavveo develops photonic-controlled radar technology for autonomous systems and senior care monitoring, enabling non-invasive environmental detection without cameras or wearables.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHealthtechMobility & TransportationRobotics
Dr. Sven Otte(Founder & CEO)Dr. Stefan Meister(CTO & Founder)Dr. Ulrich Keil(VP Engineering & Founder)
Co-investorsVsquared Ventures
Zafrens develops a unified drug discovery platform that integrates isolation, imaging, and sequencing workflows to accelerate the identification of therapeutic compounds across modalities.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechSan Diego, US
Martin SmrcinainMaina NdunguinSwamy Vijayan(Executive Officer, Director)inYi ZhanginVikas Goelin
BoardJustin Briggsin
Co-investorsAcequia Capital (AceCap)BlueYard CapitalFoundersX VenturesGlobal BrainHAWKTAILIaso Ventures+3 more
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
AI AcceleratorAI ChipAzalea VisioneyeoFeFET MemoryIntegrated GaN circuitsMetal 3D PrintingNagiNeuraNubis CommunicationsOneraPhotonic computingQuantum ComputingSCILSmart Lens
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesNEURA Robotics · finance.yahoo.com · Jun 11, 2026
Axelera AI · axelera.ai · Feb 23, 2026
Optalysys · optalysys.com · Jan 22, 2026
FMC · finsmes.com · Nov 14, 2025
Fabric8Labs · finsmes.com · Nov 13, 2025
Aerospacelab · finance.yahoo.com · Sep 24, 2025
Mojo Vision · finsmes.com · Sep 4, 2025
Clevon · clevon.com · Jun 18, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has imec.xpand made?
- imec.xpand has 49 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does imec.xpand invest at?
- imec.xpand invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What is imec.xpand's typical check size?
- imec.xpand typically writes checks of $270K – $5.4M.
- What sectors does imec.xpand focus on?
- imec.xpand focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Deep Tech, Hardware, Healthtech, Medical Devices, New Materials, Quantum Computing, Robotics, Semiconductors, Space Tech.
- Where is imec.xpand located?
- imec.xpand is headquartered in Leuven, BE.
- Does imec.xpand lead rounds?
- imec.xpand typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does imec.xpand co-invest with?
- imec.xpand most often shares deals with Verve Ventures, Vsquared Ventures, Global Brain, among 138 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamPartner Cyril Vančura brings Silicon Valley Mindset to Europe’s imec.xpand
Corporate Venturing Insider · Cyril Vančura
Images
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