Axelera AI Secures €62 Million to Enhance AI Chip Technologies

2025-03-07 data

The Hague, Friday, 7 March 2025.
Dutch company Axelera AI secures EU funding to develop energy-efficient AI inference chips, boosting the Netherlands’ tech innovation and supporting sustainable technology advancements.

Major EU Investment Boosts European Chip Innovation

Netherlands-based Axelera AI has secured €61.6 million in funding from the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking on March 6, 2025, marking a significant milestone in European chip development [1][2]. The funding is part of the broader Digital Autonomy with RISC-V for Europe (DARE) project, which has received a total investment of €240 million to advance European high-performance computing capabilities [3]. Founded in July 2021, Axelera AI has rapidly established itself as a leading innovator in AI chip technology, with total funding now exceeding $200 million [4].

Revolutionary Titania Chiplet Technology

The company’s latest innovation, the Titania chiplet, leverages Digital In-Memory Computing (D-IMC) architecture to deliver unprecedented efficiency in AI processing [5]. As explained by CTO and co-founder Evangelos Eleftheriou, ‘Our D-IMC technology leverages a future-proof, scalable multi-AI-core architecture, ensuring unparalleled adaptability and efficiency’ [6]. The technology is specifically designed for high-performance computing applications, targeting deployment by 2028 [7].

Strategic Expansion and Market Impact

Axelera AI plans to significantly expand its operations, with intentions to hire between 50 and 100 new employees across its facilities in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy [8]. The company aims to grow its customer base from 150 to 500 by the end of 2025, with a current European customer concentration of 40% [9]. The development focuses on various applications, including robotics, automotive sectors, and security cameras [10].

European Technology Sovereignty

This investment represents a crucial step in establishing European sovereignty in AI chip technology. CEO Fabrizio Del Maffeo emphasizes the strategic importance, stating ‘We would not have been able to take the risk otherwise […] since EuroHPC has members from all countries, and they have one purpose—to deploy’ [11]. The initiative aligns with broader European efforts to compete with American and Asian players in the rapidly growing AI market, which is experiencing over 28% CAGR growth [12].

Bronnen

AI chips Energy-efficient