Born from a vision to redefine the limits of chip technology, Black Semiconductor's journey began in 2020, officially established by the entrepreneurial brothers Dr. Daniel Schall and Sebastian Schall. What started as a spin-off from the nonprofit research center AMO in Aachen, Germany, has rapidly evolved into a pioneering force in the semiconductor industry. The company's early days were rooted in over two decades of collective experience in chip development and a deep, fourteen-year expertise in graphene technology. This strong foundation allowed them to envision a paradigm shift, moving beyond the constraints of traditional silicon-based chips.
The team at Black Semiconductor embarked on a mission to harness the extraordinary properties of graphene, a material just one atom thick, to revolutionize chip connectivity. Their core innovation lies in the successful integration of photonics and electronics on the same wafer, enabling chips to communicate with light. This breakthrough promises to shatter existing performance bottlenecks, drastically increasing data transfer speeds and energy efficiency. The journey has been marked by significant milestones, including securing a substantial €11.2 million in VC and public funding in 2022, which fueled the initial development of their wafer fabrication technology. This momentum continued to build, culminating in a landmark funding achievement in 2024, with a €228.7 million grant and an additional €25.7 million in private investment. This financial backing is paving the way for the construction of 'FabONE,' their dedicated 15,000m² fabrication facility, and a scalable pilot line for 300mm wafer technology. With plans to expand their team from 30 to 120 by 2026 and an acquisition of graphene specialist Applied Nanolayers, Black Semiconductor is not just developing a new product; they are building an ecosystem to bring high-performance, energy-efficient chip technology to the forefront of the European and global markets, aiming for mass production by 2031.