Delft startup receives €6.5 million for nanotechnology that permits materials discovery in a single 12 months

Delft-based VSParticle has raised €6.5 million to accelerate materials discovery for industrial solutions such as green hydrogen production.

Discovering new materials in the lab usually takes years, often close to 10 or even more. VSParticle aims to change this paradigm and reduce discovery time to just one year.

To do this, the company has used nanotechnology. It develops tools that can break down, synthesize and process materials at the nanoscale. Nano-sized particles of inorganic materials, also called nanoparticles, have unique properties that, when combined, can lead to the creation of novel materials.

The startup offers various tools for the automated generation, synthesis, deposition and prototyping of nanoparticles, enabling researchers and commercial R&D teams to experiment with the development of new materials. The integration of advanced computational tools into these processes also accelerates the identification and optimization of novel materials.

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According to Aaike van Vugt, co-founder and CEO of VSParticle, this accelerates the transition from the lab to real-world applications and mass production.

“This allows us to reduce the time needed for material discovery from a decade to just one year,” van Vugt told TNW.

The company's flagship product, the VSP-P1 nanoprinter, is already being used by various research teams around the world, including at Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi and the Netherlands Institute for Basic Energy Research.

The VSP-P1 nano printers. Image credit: VSParticle

The printer can not only produce the desired nanoparticles, but also print them directly into a new product or integrate them as an additional function “at the push of a button,” said van Vugt.

It features a user interface that allows researchers to easily change parameters and experiment with different material configurations, allowing different compositions to be quickly tested and refined.

Material discovery for energy applications

VSParticle's technology can be used for a wide range of applications, from sensors to medical devices, and is also particularly suitable for sustainable energy solutions.

One of them is the production of green hydrogen.

Catalyst-coated porous transport layers (PTLs) are key components of electrolyzers that are essential for green hydrogen production. The technology enables the mass production of PTLs without relying on scarce materials such as platinum and iridium, which are typically used for the catalysts.

According to VSParticle, its printers can help develop new material combinations for PTLs. The company expects tenfold savings on rare metals such as iridium and faster development of new products.

According to the startup, the first components using its technology will hit the market by 2027 and will lead to end products that can help scale green hydrogen production.

With the new funding, VSParticle plans to further develop its technology and develop next-generation printers with up to 100 times higher performance. The company also plans to expand into Japan and expand its operations in Europe and the US.

NordicNinja, the largest VC firm with Japanese participation in Europe, and the previous investor Plural led the round. The existing investor Hermann Hauser Investment also participated. The capital injection increases the startup's total financing to 23.5 million dollars (21.5 million euros).

“Less than 1% of all possible inorganic materials have been explored so far,” said van Vugt. “The bigger goal of VSParticle is to explore the other 99%.”