In order to improve its nanoparticle tools, Hermann Hauser Investment and NordicNinja, two former investors, spearheaded the A2 fundraising for VSParticle. With this, the total amount raised to date has reached €24.5 million, which will be put toward expanding production and reaching new markets, such as industrial clients in Japan.

Key components for semiconductor manufacturing and battery systems are nanoparticles. With the stroke of a button, materials may now be produced and broken down to the size of nanoparticles, thanks to technology developed by VSParticle in Delft. This can be applied to the construction of batteries, hydrogen electrolysers, semiconductors, LEDs, solar cells, and image sensors.

This makes it possible for scientists and business R&D teams to experiment with making new materials. A novel material’s discovery in a lab can take up to ten years, and mass production takes an additional five. However, using the VSP-P1 system, this entire development time can be cut down to only one year.

To speed up advancements, VSP clients are developing autonomous labs that combine high-throughput material synthesis, robotics, and artificial intelligence. The company will be able to grow into Japan and intensify its efforts in the US and Europe with the help of the next-generation printers, which can produce up to 100 times more.

Over the past year, VSParticle has shipped its flagship product, the VSP-P1 Nanoprinter, to teams in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America. These teams include the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, the Materials Discovery Research Institute (MDRI) in the Chicago area, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in San Francisco, and the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research.

Specifically, the mass manufacture of catalyst-coated Porous Transport Layers (PTLs), which are crucial parts of electrolyzers and necessary for the generation of green hydrogen, is made possible by VSP’s nanoparticle technology.

With a projected 10x savings in rare metals like iridium, VSP printers are utilized to create new material combinations for PTLs and introduce new products more quickly and affordably. The final product that will enable the creation of green hydrogen should be on the market by 2027 thanks to the initial parts that were produced with VSP’s expertise.

Aaike van Vugt, co-founder and CEO of VSParticle, stated, “Our technology is empowering university researchers and commercial R&D teams across the world to create new materials that will transform the production of green hydrogen and reduce emissions in carbon-intensive industries.”

 “VSParticle’s technology is transforming material innovation, and, combined with AI, this will be the basis of world-changing discovery and synthesis over the next decades. We’re delighted to be supporting the impressive VSP team in this extension round, particularly with their Japanese expansion plans to capitalize on the drive to scale the development of green hydrogen. We can’t wait to see what they achieve next.” stated Rainer Sternfeld, a partner at NordicNinja.

Plural partner Sten Tamkivi stated: “Material discovery has always been extremely important in science but over the past 12 months, the world has woken up to the need to speed up innovation so we can find the solutions to global challenges, including decarbonizing society. VSParticle is the only company that is driving discovery at the critical early levels so teams can scale experimentation and development of next-generation materials. This technology is already making a difference to teams in Europe and the US, particularly when it comes to enabling AI-driven automation of nanoparticle material discovery.”