French Deeptech Startup Secures Major Funding Boost
Hummink, a Paris-based company, has secured €15 million in funding. This investment will be used to expand its ultra-precise nanoprinting technology. The technique allows for the real-time correction of tiny flaws seen in semiconductors and displays.
KBC Focus Fund, Cap Horn, and Bpifrance took the lead in this investment round, with further backing from Elaia Partners, Sensinnovat, and Beeyond. The French Tech Seed fund and the European Innovation Council Fund were also involved, as part of the France 2030 project.
Funding Fuels Global Expansion and Workforce Growth
The funding will expedite the development of Hummink’s industrial printing module, paving the way for its integration into semiconductor and display production plants worldwide.
The firm has ambitious aspirations. They’re aiming to quadruple their staff by 2026. Furthermore, they’re looking to broaden their reach throughout Asia and the United States. A key part of their strategy involves ramping up manufacturing of their unique conductive inks, which are used for electrical repairs at the nanometer scale.
Targeting OLED Waste Worth Billions Each Year
Microscopic flaws in OLED manufacture can lead to the rejection of complete panels, a situation that costs the industry €16 billion each year. Hummink’s technology directly addresses this problem by enabling repairs to be made throughout the production process.
Hummink’s efforts are making a difference, saving manufacturers from wasting resources that might cover thousands of football fields annually. This, in turn, helps them increase their production and lessen their impact on the environment.
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A Spin-Off From France’s Research Powerhouses
Hummink, established in 2020, was the brainchild of materials scientist Amin M’Barki and startup operator Pascal Boncenne. The company has its roots at École Normale Supérieure–PSL and the CNRS.
The company’s goal is to enable manufacturers to construct and fix circuits at the tiny level. This approach promises to boost efficiency and sustainability in the creation of future electronics.
High-Precision Capillary Printing: A Breakthrough Technology
Hummink’s proprietary High-Precision Capillary Printing (HPCaP) functions much like a miniature fountain pen, delivering metals and other materials with astonishing sub-micron accuracy.
This technology works with standard lithography, allowing for the identification and rectification of flaws directly on chips and displays. This improves production efficiency and reduces waste in large-scale manufacturing.
Early Adoption Across Research and Industry
Hummink’s NAZCA demonstration is already deployed in leading research centers in Europe, Asia, and the United States. At Duke University, researchers developed a process that enabled the creation of the world’s first totally recyclable sub-micrometer printed electronics. This groundbreaking work was published in Nature Electronics.
These achievements indicate how nanoprinting may connect laboratory research with large-scale industrial use, perhaps leading to a new era of electronics that are free from defects.
Investors See Hummink as a Next-Gen Manufacturing Enabler
Investors hailed Hummink as a “deep tech game-changer,” someone poised to revolutionize the processes behind semiconductor and display manufacturing.
KBC Focus Fund’s Nuno Carvalho described the firm as one that “bridges academic excellence with industrial relevance.” Bpifrance’s Francois Charbonnier, on the other hand, characterized it as a “foundational technology for next-generation microelectronics.” Cap Horn’s Flora Coppolani noted that Hummink’s nanoprinting breakthrough “opens up a new world of precision and scalability for the future of deeptech.”
