Dutch Spatial-ALD company SparkNano secures further funding to scale-up Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition for energy applications

Eindhoven, November 3, 2022 -  SparkNano B.V. announced today that it has closed a funding round of 5.5M EUR. The investment was led by Air Liquide Venture Capital (ALIAD, France) and was supported by Dutch investors Somerset Capital Partners and Invest-NL as well as the existing investors Innovatio nIndustries, the Brabant Development Company (BOM) and TNO.

SparkNano, a spin off company of TNO Holst Centre, develops and supplies Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (Spatial ALD) technology that enables its customers to build better, low-cost, and higher-performing devices for sustainable energy applications. These devices include a new generation of electrolyzers for green hydrogen production, fuel cells, batteries, and solar cells. The funding will allow SparkNano to accelerate and expand its business, and together with its partners and customers contribute to a future where energy is generated, stored and converted in a sustainable way.

The past years, SparkNano has built and expanded its unique expertise in Spatial ALD technology and equipment for applying thin films of materials, amongst others inside highly porous materials. These depositions apply atomic-scale control of both how much and where the material is positioned. SparkNano’s customers use this technology to apply a range of precisely tuned thin films to e.g. extend the lifetime of battery electrodes or to deposit catalyst layers for electrolyzers to produce green hydrogen with a minimized use of precious elements such as iridium and platinum, as has been proven by TNO link. SparkNano offers products ranging from flexible R&D tools to high-volume and large-area mass production tools for both sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll production, enabling a seamless transition from lab-to-fab.

“At SparkNano, we strongly believe that our Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition solutions can support the quest for a sustainable energy future. We are excited that this belief is shared by our new and existing investors, and our customers will see that we have very reliable partners behind us.”, says Huib Heezen, CEO of SparkNano. “SparkNano is looking forward to continue the close cooperation with Air Liquide, TNO and other partners on process and material innovations. Furthermore, our presence in the Eindhoven high-tech ecosystem,with world-class expertise in high-tech equipment and atomic layer deposition, is of key importance for our product development.”

“We are excited that we have the opportunity to invest in SparkNano in this round and that we can now support SparkNano’s growth through a strategic cooperation”, says Greg Fleming from AirLiquide Venture Capital. “SparkNano’s technology has the ability to change the way we are designing for instance electrolyzers opening up a huge market.”

“SparkNano has the potential to become a major supplier in the energy market” according to Joes Daemen, Managing Partner of Somerset Capital Partners. “As such, the company will play an integral part in the energy transition, an ambition that sits at the heart of our investment strategy. We are keen to support the team in their further development of its Spatial ALD technology.”

AboutSparkNano

SparkNano develops and supplies Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition equipment for energy, OLED and related applications. SparkNano was first founded in 2018 as a spin-off of TNO (the Netherlands Organization of Applied Scientific Research). The company’s products enable its customers to seamlessly scale from lab-to-fab. Next to the high-quality equipment, an experienced team also supports in process development and optimization, provides application support and yield & and performance management. SparkNano is located in the Brainport ecosystem in Eindhoven. To learn more, please visit www.spark-nano.com or contact us viainfo@spark-nano.com.

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