imec.xpand
Venture capitalLeuven · Pre-Seed–Series A · 12 people tracked
Investment thesis
imec.xpand backs transformative semiconductor and nanotechnology innovations where imec's contributions can decisively influence the success of technology development. The fund targets early-stage deeptech companies, drawing on deep technological expertise and a hands-on approach. Its close connections to imec position the team to accurately assess technology risk in complex, science-driven ventures.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 12 people
from the firm's website & public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 15 of 57 portfolio companiesDeep Tech ×10Hardware ×9Semiconductors ×9AI & Machine Learning ×5Medical Devices ×3Biotech ×2Digital Health ×2Advanced Manufacturing ×1
HQs:Netherlands×2United States×2Australia×1Switzerland×1Spain×1France×1
Investments · 57 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathAxelera 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 LearningHardwareSemiconductors
Fabrizio Del MaffeoEvangelos Eleftheriou
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 TechSemiconductors
eyeo develops image sensors based on its proprietary NCOS (Nanophotonic Color Splitting) technology, which uses nano-photonic structures to split light and direct wavelengths to sensor pixels without the light loss of traditional color filters.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductors
Fabric8Labs develops Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing (ECAM), a metal 3D printing technology used to produce high-performance components at scale.
Advanced ManufacturingHardwareSemiconductorsSan Diego, US
Jeffrey Herman(Executive Officer, Director)David Pain(Director)
BoardCyril Vancura(Director)Greg Papadopoulos(Director)Jennifer Ard(Director)
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)
Onera Health provides clinical-grade remote diagnostics and monitoring solutions for healthcare professionals, with an initial focus on sleep health.
Digital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesEindhoven, NL
PsiQuantum builds fault-tolerant quantum computers using photonic qubits and semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Deep TechHardwareQuantum ComputingSemiconductorsMoreton Bay, AU
Prof. Jeremy O'Brien(Co-founder & Executive Chairman)Prof. Terry Rudolph(Co-founder & Chief Architect)Dr. Pete Shadbolt(Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer)Prof. Mark Thompson(Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer)Victor Peng(Chief Executive Officer)
Spectricity develops chip-size multispectral image sensors for smartphones and consumer electronics, aimed at improving color accuracy and enabling applications such as automatic white balancing, skin analysis, and wound monitoring.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductors
INBRAIN Neuroelectronics develops graphene-based brain-computer interfaces that decode and modulate neural signals, combined with AI, to deliver real-time personalized therapy for neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and for brain tumor surgery.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechMedical DevicesBarcelona, ES
Carolina Aguilar(CEO & Founder)
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)
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
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does imec.xpand invest at?
- imec.xpand invests at the Pre-Seed, 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 Deep Tech, Hardware, New Materials, Semiconductors.
- 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.
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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