NextGO Epi is the only European company producing industrial-grade gallium oxide epitaxial wafers up to four inches in diameter. The material forms the electrically active layer of the next generation of power semiconductors: gallium oxide-based components withstand higher voltages and operate more efficiently than the silicon carbide or gallium nitride commonly used today. The technology is at the core of every form of power transmission — from EV charging stations to inverters for renewable energy, AI data centers, and rocket-tracking systems.

The pre-seed round was led by Vireo Ventures, with participation from Ultratech Capital Partners, IBB Ventures, and business angel Boris Habets. Coming just one week after the European Commission unveiled Chips Act 2.0 — its most ambitious push yet for European semiconductor sovereignty — the round marks the first institutional investment in Europe's only manufacturer of gallium oxide epi-wafers. The fresh capital will go toward accelerating product development, growing the team, and strengthening commercial presence across Europe and global markets.

"Ta-Shun and his team at NextGO Epi have a bright future ahead. They combine deep technical expertise with state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities to produce gallium oxide semiconductors that will revolutionize next-generation electronics. We're excited to support them at the start of their journey to becoming the leading provider of this increasingly strategic key technology," says Damian Perl, Founder and General Partner of Ultratech Capital Partners.

The founding team brings together more than ten years of experience in gallium oxide research and epitaxy, backed by two international patents and over 30 scientific publications. The company is also supported by Dr. Jochen Linck, former COO of Aixtron, who serves as Operating Partner guiding NextGO Epi's growth and commercial scaling.

"Gallium oxide is to power electronics what silicon was to computing — and Europe should own this value chain," says Dr. Ta-Shun Chou, CEO and co-founder of NextGO Epi. "We're building the material foundation that will enable the next energy revolution. And we're building it in Europe."

Stephan Schulze, Investment Director at IBB Ventures, adds: "NextGO Epi is commercializing a technology that is unique on the continent. Developed in Berlin, rooted in the city's strong research ecosystem and decades of semiconductor expertise, the company is exceptionally well positioned to become a leading European supplier of gallium oxide epi-wafers."

The chip Europe can't afford to import

The European Commission's Chips Act 2.0, presented in June, explicitly aims to reduce Europe's dependence on Asian and US suppliers for the semiconductor materials that power electric vehicles, AI servers, and the grid infrastructure of the energy transition. NextGO Epi is exactly the kind of company this policy is meant to foster: it is building the foundational supply chain Europe needs to lead the next wave of the energy and mobility transition.

Gallium oxide offers a significant efficiency leap over the silicon carbide widely used today: the material is ten times more energy-efficient, can withstand up to six times higher voltage density, and can be manufactured up to 75 percent more cheaply. The three-person founding team — all PhD holders, Dr. Ta-Shun Chou, Dr. Andreas Popp, and Dr. Andreas Fiedler — spent over a decade developing defect-free, industrial-grade gallium oxide, with strong support from IKZ. "IKZ's science and technology program is dedicated to developing and supplying the highest-quality crystals for electronics and photonics. In the case of our spin-off NextGO Epi, I'm pleased to say that highest quality applies not only to the gallium oxide product, but equally to the founding team," explains IKZ Director Prof. Dr. Thomas Schroeder.

From lab to production: customers on three continents

The company is already in production, generating revenue, and supplying customers across three continents. The core of the product is growing an epitaxial gallium oxide layer — the so-called "epi layer" — onto a wafer substrate. This forms the electrically active part of a high-performance semiconductor device. NextGO Epi is the only European company producing this gallium oxide layer at the quality required by industrial customers.

The most obvious application is electric vehicle charging: a charging station built with components based on NextGO Epi material could fully charge a vehicle in 10 minutes instead of the current 60 — reliably even in winter, when lithium batteries typically perform at their weakest. Beyond that, the same material boosts the efficiency of renewable energy inverters, power supplies in AI data centers, grid transformers, and defense systems.

"Ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors are becoming the decisive key technology for next-generation high-voltage power electronics — and gallium oxide leads this field. No other material achieves this performance range," says Mischa Wetzel, co-founder and Managing Partner of Vireo Ventures. "What sets NextGO Epi apart is that this isn't a research project. The team is already producing, already delivering to customers — and virtually no one else in the world can do what they do. That position, built on years of world-class research at IKZ, makes them a uniquely strong candidate for the role of key supplier to this industry."