July 14, 2026
Europe’s only gallium-oxide semiconductor producer raises €2M
NextGO Epi, a Berlin deep-tech spin-off from the Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ) and Europe’s only producer of gallium oxide epitaxial wafers, has closed a €2M pre-seed round led by Vireo Ventures.
Berlin, 14 July 2026 — NextGO Epi, a deep-tech spin-off from the Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ) and Europe’s only producer of gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) epitaxial wafers for next-generation power semiconductors, has closed a €2 million pre-seed round led by Vireo Ventures with participation from Ultratech Capital Partners, IBB Ventures and angel investor Boris Habets.
The round comes just one week after the European Commission unveiled Chips Act 2.0, doubling down on Europe’s ambition to secure sovereign capacity across the semiconductor value chain — and putting materials innovation squarely at the center of the plan.
NextGO Epi produces industrial-quality Ga₂O₃ epitaxial wafers up to 4 inches using a proprietary MOCVD process. Gallium oxide is an ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductor that withstands significantly higher voltages and is more efficient than the incumbent materials silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN). Devices built on it could cut EV fast-charging times from 60 to 10 minutes and reduce manufacturing costs of power semiconductors by up to 75%, with applications spanning EV charging, renewable inverters, industrial drives, grid infrastructure and AI data centers.
The capital will accelerate product development, expand the team and grow NextGO Epi’s commercial presence across Europe and beyond.
“Power electronics are the backbone of electrification. Gallium oxide moves the frontier — and Europe cannot afford to depend on non-EU suppliers for a material this strategic,” said Felix Krause, Managing Partner at Vireo Ventures. “NextGO Epi combines world-class scientific expertise from IKZ with a unique competitive position as Europe’s only producer of Ga₂O₃ epi-wafers at industrial quality. Backing them was an easy decision.”
About NextGO Epi
NextGO Epi is a Berlin-based deep-tech company producing high-quality gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) epitaxial wafers for next-generation power semiconductors. Spun out of the Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ), the company is Europe’s only dedicated supplier of Ga₂O₃ epi-wafers up to 4 inches, enabling device manufacturers to build ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductors for electricity grids, EV power electronics, industrial drives, renewable energy infrastructure and AI data centers.
