Quantum Diamonds

High-Level Overview

QuantumDiamonds is a Munich-based deep-tech startup founded in 2022 as a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), specializing in quantum sensing technology using nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in synthetic diamonds.[3][6] The company builds nanoscale quantum sensors and devices like the QD m.0 and QD m.1 microscopes for non-destructive, high-resolution 3D inspection of semiconductors, measuring magnetic fields, temperature, and pressure at room temperature with atomic-scale precision.[2][4][5] These tools serve semiconductor manufacturers, chipmakers, and high-tech industries including defense, solving critical problems in failure analysis and quality control by detecting elusive faults in complex AI-era chip architectures without damaging samples, reducing waste, and boosting yields.[2][4][5] With €7M raised, 35 employees, and recent milestones like the QD m.1 launch at Semicon Taiwan in September 2025, QuantumDiamonds shows strong growth momentum, including U.S. market entry via the German Accelerator program and advisor additions like former TSMC Director Dr. David Su.[2][6]

Origin Story

QuantumDiamonds emerged in 2022 from research at the Technical University of Munich, leveraging breakthroughs in NV centers—atomic defects in diamonds that enable ultra-sensitive quantum sensing without cryogenics.[3][6] Co-founders include CEO Kevin Berghoff, who brings business scaling expertise, and CTO Dr. Fleming Bruckmaier, a quantum expert focused on magnetic field imaging.[2][5] The idea stemmed from translating lab quantum tech into commercial tools for semiconductors, where traditional methods fall short on nanoscale faults in advanced chips.[2][3] Early traction came via SPRIND funding for a hemispheric diamond lens achieving 180 nm resolution, rapid prototype development faster than ASML's early days (per Handelsblatt), and partnerships with Fraunhofer Institutes.[5][6] Pivotal moments include launching the world's first commercial quantum chip inspection device, QD m.0, and securing €7M in funding from investors like IQ Capital.[6][8]

Core Differentiators

• Quantum NV Center Technology: Uses diamond-embedded solid-state qubits for room-temperature sensing of magnetic fields, currents, temperature, and pressure with unmatched spatial resolution (down to 200 nm features, 1 µm depth) and 3D widefield imaging up to 4 mm x 4 mm without raster scanning.[2][4][5]
• Non-Destructive Real-Time Inspection: QD m.0/m.1 microscopes enable layer-by-layer imaging of live chips under current, localizing faults for AI/complex architectures; chips remain sellable post-test, unlike destructive methods.[2][4][6]
• Speed and Scalability: 10-minute measurements at 180 nm resolution; future production-line tools targeted for 2028 via Fraunhofer collaborations, bridging failure analysis to inline quality control.[5]
• Versatility and Impact: Operates from cryogenic to 700°C; reduces wafer scrap, CO₂ emissions (Scope 3), and costs for fabs; extends to defense (e.g., submarine detection).[3][4]
• Business Momentum: Strategic advisors like Dr. David Su, U.S. expansion, and partnerships across industry/academia position it ahead of classical sensors.[2][6]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

QuantumDiamonds rides the quantum sensing wave amid surging demand for advanced semiconductors in AI, 3D stacking, and hybrid bonding, where classical tools can't match nanoscale precision for fault detection.[2][4][7] Timing is ideal: chip complexity is exploding (e.g., for AI chips), yet failure analysis markets are vast and growing, with production-line QC even larger; quantum tech "makes the invisible visible" non-destructively.[3][5] Market forces like supply chain security, Europe's push for tech autonomy (via SPRIND, Fraunhofer), and NATO defense needs (tripling undersea detection) favor it, reducing reliance on non-EU tech.[3] It influences the ecosystem by enabling next-gen 3D semis, cutting waste for sustainable fabs, and accelerating quantum commercialization from labs to industry.[1][4][7]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

QuantumDiamonds is poised to disrupt semiconductor testing, with QD m.1's 2025 launch and U.S. entry signaling scale-up from service-based analysis to inline tools by 2028.[2][5][6] Trends like AI chip proliferation, quantum tech maturation, and defense autonomy will propel it, potentially capturing share in a multi-billion failure/QC market while expanding to biomedical/metrology uses.[1][3] Influence may evolve via global partnerships, mirroring ASML's trajectory but faster, as Europe builds quantum leadership—watch for production-line breakthroughs that slash fab costs and emissions, redefining precision metrology. This positions QuantumDiamonds as a key enabler in the quantum-semiconductor nexus, transforming lab wonders into industrial reality.[3][5][6]