QuantumDiamonds accelerates semiconductor development, improves production yields, and is poised to become the only startup to win manufacturing funding under the European Chips Act.

Quantum Diamonds Sensor Technology (QDST) is redefining chip testing with world-first quantum sensing tools that detect hidden defects in complex semiconductors.

The Munich-based company enables manufacturers to identify faults in 3D chip architectures before energy- and water-intensive processing steps, reducing waste and emissions. QDST’s platform provides non-destructive, nanometer-scale current imaging, pushing the boundaries of semiconductor metrology. Already working with global chip leaders, QDST is scaling manufacturing with support from the European Chips Act to meet soaring demand for high-yield, high-performance chips.

The climate case:

The semiconductor industry’s energy use has surged by 125% in recent years, with yield losses causing unnecessary energy, water, and material consumption. QDST’s breakthrough testing tools catch defects early, improving yields and cutting emissions by over 5% through yield optimisation. Additional emissions savings are expected from battery-yield optimisation, as well as from the indirect effects of accelerated EV adoption and enhanced computing efficiency. At scale, these combined effects will drive significant CO2 reductions across critical industries, directly supporting global decarbonisation efforts.

The business case:

As chips become denser and more complex, today’s tools fall short. QDST is entering a €20B market with a unique solution that solves a growing industry bottleneck. Its quantum sensing system enables accurate, fast, and non-destructive testing of advanced chips, critical for AI, HPC, and EV technologies. Already used by leading global chipmakers, QDST is now scaling production and deployments to become the new testing standard in semiconductor fabs worldwide.

The team:

Co-founders Kevin Berghoff, Dr. Fleming Bruckmaier, and Prof. Dr. Dominik Bucher lead a world-class team of physicists, engineers, and software developers from TUM, ETH Zurich, LMU, and Harvard. With backing from semiconductor veterans with decades of experience at ASML, Intel, TSMC, and Applied Materials, QDST combines deep technical excellence with strategic industry insight. Together, they’re building the global reference in

Website: https://www.qd-st.com/