BRUSSELS, Belgium, Jan. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VoxelSensors, a leading Belgian semiconductor deep tech start-up, closes its Seed Round with a €3 million in tail investment led by a new investor SFPIM Relaunch with participation from existing investors Qbic Fund and finance&invest.brussels. The funding is an extension of the company’s €5.5 million Seed Round of May 2023, led by Capricorn Digital Growth Fund and Qbic Fund, which now totals €9.5 million.
The investment will boost VoxelSensors’ international growth, technology advancement, and customer engagement for its low-power, low-latency Spatial and Empathic Computing solution for mobile and XR devices. VoxelSensors will also use the funds to prepare for the Series A round to support the company’s ambitions.
Spatial and Empathic Computing is an emerging field that aims to create technology that can enhance user perception based on user intentions for unique and personalized experiences. This technology will enable many applications for consumer electronics and professional applications on XR devices. VoxelSensors strives to make wearables more intuitive and user-friendly and foster the mass-market adoption of mobile and XR applications.
XR wearables and mobile spatial and empathic devices are projected to grow at the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.9% from 2022 to 20271.
“We think that Spatial and Empathic Computing is the future of XR and Mobile technology, and we are happy to be among the pioneers of this field,” said Johannes Peeters, CEO of VoxelSensors. “We are grateful to have secured this investment. It will allow us to keep innovating and developing our technologies to meet customer needs. We appreciate the support of institutional investors who align with our vision and values for the future of spatial and empathic computing in Brussels, Belgium and of electronic-semiconductor companies in Europe. Their investment is a recognition of the quality of our business and the promise of our technology.”
New investor SFPIM Relaunch for the future is a subsidiary of the Federal Holding and Investment Company (SFPIM), which is Belgium’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. The main objective of SFPIM Relaunch for the future is anchoring digital technological expertise in Belgium.
“We are delighted to support and invest in this young and ambitious Belgian tech company that is making waves in a highly competitive and strategic market. By supporting deep tech companies like VoxelSensors, SFPIM Relaunch for the future aims to boost Belgium and EU competitiveness in the semiconductors industry, in line with the EU Chip Act objectives that seek to enhance the production and innovation of microelectronics in Europe,” said Céline Vaessen, CEO SFPIM Relaunch.
Qbic Fund is an inter-university venture capital fund that focuses on the transformation of technological breakthroughs into sustainable businesses. They support spin-offs and start-ups that valorize research from Qbic’s knowledge partners in the deep tech, software, biotech, and health tech sectors.
“Qbic is pleased to keep investing in VoxelSensors and further support its Seed Round. The VoxelSensors team has demonstrated consistent progress since we first invested in 2023, delivering their technology roadmap, management skills as well as market penetration. We are also glad to support their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are in line with our values,” said Steven Leuridan, Partner at Qbic Fund.
finance&invest.brussels is a public limited company that facilitates and completes the financing chain of value-creating companies in the Brussels region. They provide financing solutions for start-ups, scale-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), social enterprises, and cooperatives.
“We are happy to reinvest in VoxelSensors, a Brussels deep tech leader in 3D Perception semiconductors,” said Antoine Kuypers, Investment Manager at finance&invest.brussels. “Our investment aligns with the Brussels Region’s goals to foster innovation and green transition. We trust that VoxelSensors and its low-power technology will boost collaboration, productivity, and sustainability in enterprises.”
“Spatial and empathic computing devices need efficient and reliable perception and understanding of user and environment for widespread adoption. This requires a new sensing and algorithmic paradigm,” said Ward van der Tempel, CTO of VoxelSensors. “VoxelSensors’ unique SPAES (Single Photon Active Event Sensor) technology enables low-power and low-latency sensors that combine into a multimodal perception system to connect user gaze and gesture to its environment. This synergy is the heart of successful spatial and empathic computing in XR systems.”
About VoxelSensors
VoxelSensors develops groundbreaking Spatial and Empathic Sensor Fusion technology for Mobile, XR, and industrial applications. Our proprietary SPAES (Single Photon Active Event Sensor) technology and system architecture are designed to fulfill the demands of end-product manufacturers seeking power-efficient and low-latency perception solutions. By transcending the experience barrier, our technology propels the growth of the Mobile and XR markets while satisfying the rising demand for Spatial and Empathic experiences across various industries.
SPAES enables a revolutionary sequential system that delivers low-power Spatial Awareness and a low-latency data path. This game-changing innovation unlocks the full potential of immersive and autonomous experiences, transforming consumer electronics, smartphones, wearables, and industrial applications.
To learn more, visit us at https://voxelsensors.com.
For Press Information contact:
Karina Kovalenko – MarCom Manager
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://voxelsensors.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voxelsensors
About SFPIM Relaunch
SFPIM Relaunch is a subsidiary of the Federal Holding and Investment Company (SFPIM), Belgium’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. The main objectives of SFPIM Relaunch are to restart the Belgian economy after the impact of Covid, the energy crisis, and to meet the challenges of tomorrow by promoting economic prosperity and employment in Belgium. SFPIM Relaunch is committed to long-term profitability, combined with promoting sound corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. SFPIM Group supports current or future Belgian companies whose business model, in addition to a normal financial return, makes an important contribution to the transition in terms of mobility, inclusion, productivity and/or digitalisation. For more information see SFPIM website.
About finance&invest.brussels
finance&invest.brussels is a public limited company that facilitates and completes the financing mix for Brussels-based companies with a clear focus on a number of key sectors that promote sustainable economic development and job creation.
The company provides concrete solutions to the financial needs of entrepreneurs, in the form of loans, capital or guarantees, at decisive moments in their journeys. These financing solutions are aimed at start-ups, scale-ups, SMES, but also very small social entities and cooperatives.
About Qbic
Qbic Fund is an inter-university sector-agnostic seed and early-stage venture capital fund, supporting young innovative companies that valorize research from Qbic’s knowledge partners. The fund typically participates in the first external investment round of a company and continues to support and invest in these companies throughout their growth. Across 3 funds, Qbic has close to € 200M in AUM.
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1 https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/wearable-technology-market