AlixLabs Closes 15 M EUR Series A with Strategic Investment from Stephen Industries
AlixLabs, a pioneer in Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) technology for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing, closed its Series A in the first quarter of 2026 following a strategic investment from Stephen Industries.
The investment marks a strategic milestone for AlixLabs as it continues to develop its proprietary ALE solutions with especially its flagship APS™ (Atomic Pitch Splitting) technology aimed at enabling more precise, efficient, and cost-effective semiconductor fabrication.
A key dimension of the partnership is the involvement of Kustaa Poutiainen of Stephen Industries, whose experience in building and scaling deep-tech companies brings significant strategic value. Poutiainen previously played a central role in the growth of Picosun, a Nordic Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) company that became a global leader in its field. Given the close technological relationship between ALD and ALE, this track record is particularly relevant to AlixLabs’ mission.
“Stephen Industries brings deep industrial expertise and a proven ability to scale companies in adjacent technology domains,” said Jonas Sundqvist, CEO of AlixLabs. “Kustaa’s experience with Picosun is especially valuable as we move from development toward broader commercialization of our APS™ platform.”
Atomic Layer Etching is widely seen as a critical enabler for future semiconductor nodes, complementing ALD processes by allowing atomic-scale precision in material removal. As device architectures become increasingly complex, ALE is expected to play a central role in manufacturing.
“AlixLabs operates in a highly promising space within semiconductor process technology,” said Kustaa Poutiainen, Chairman and President of Stephen Industries. “Having seen firsthand how ALD evolved from a niche innovation to a critical industry standard, I see strong parallels with ALE. AlixLabs has the potential to follow a similar trajectory.”
The new funding will be used to accelerate product development, expand technical capabilities, and strengthen partnerships with semiconductor manufacturers.
This investment reinforces AlixLabs’ position as a key innovator in the European semiconductor ecosystem and supports its ambition to become a global leader in Atomic Layer Etching.
Press contact:
Jonas Klar
PR & Communications
AlixLabs
jonas.klar@alixlabs.com
About AlixLabs
Established in 2019 in Lund, Sweden, AlixLabs emerged as a spin-off from Lund University with a mission to enable the cost-effective and energy-conscious fabrication of semiconductors, particularly logic and memory components. AlixLabs boasts patented recognition for its groundbreaking APS™ technique, a process that achieves nanostructure division through etching. This method holds approved patents across the USA, Taiwan, and Europe. The APS™ acronym signifies ALE Pitch Splitting, leveraging ALE (Atomic Layer Etching), a plasma-based dry etching cyclic methodology. For more details, please visit www.alixlabs.com