Poland's semiQa raises seed round to build energy-efficient AI chips
What's the deal? Polish startup semiQaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised a seed round led by Hard2beatDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, with participation from 24venturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, inventoDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and s20. The company develops energy-efficient AI chips for uses including drones and autonomous systems.
Why now? Hard2beat announced the investment at The Moat, its deep-tech event in Warsaw that drew more than 200 attendees and representatives from over 30 foreign funds. semiQa was one of two new investments unveiled at the event, alongside German storage software firm SimplyblockDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →.
What's the endgame? The deal follows Hard2beat's expansion from 84 million to 110.3 million złoty, backed by PFR Ventures, whose commitment rose from 56.5 million to 80 million złoty. The fund plans to keep its portfolio at roughly 24 companies while writing larger cheques and reserving more capital for follow-on rounds.
What's Hard2beat's pitch? The firm is betting that capital alone no longer wins the best early-stage deals.
"In deep tech, later financings are often much larger than in less demanding projects, so access to investors for subsequent rounds becomes as important as the entry capital itself," said Konrad Trzyna, partner at Hard2beat. (translated from Polish)
The Moat was designed to connect Polish and regional deep-tech companies with investors who lack local access. Ten companies pitched on the main stage, and selected teams met investors in one-on-one sessions. Hard2beat plans to run the event annually.
The signal: Poland's deep-tech scene is pushing to plug into foreign capital for the bigger rounds that hardware and chip startups eventually need. "Projects are being built in Poland that are technologically on par with companies from Berlin, London, or Paris," said partner Maciej Zawadziński. semiQa's raise is a test of whether local funds can bridge that gap.
Read more: mamstartup.pl
Image credit: IBM Research
