What Lace Lithography does

Lace Lithography is a Norwegian deep-tech startup founded in 2023 that develops BEUV (Beyond-EUV) atom lithography systems for advanced semiconductor chip patterning. The company's core innovation replaces traditional light-based lithography with helium atom beams operating at 0.1 nanometers—a 135x narrower beam than ASML's incumbent EUV systems at 13.5nm—enabling chip features approximately 10x smaller than current capabilities and potentially extending Moore's Law a decade beyond existing technology. The technology is complemented by proprietary AI-driven mask design algorithms that make atom-beam patterning mathematically viable, and targets advanced semiconductor manufacturers (foundries and IDMs) producing AI processors, quantum computing chips, photonics, and next-generation logic devices.

The company operates a single core product platform, the BEUV Atom Lithography System, and is currently in pre-commercial prototype development. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales to a small set of global semiconductor manufacturers, with long sales cycles typical of capital equipment and a stated target to place a test tool in a pilot chip fabrication facility by approximately 2029. Headcount stands at 50-60+ physicists, engineers, and operators across headquarters in Bergen (Norway), an R&D hub in Barcelona via Lace Compute SL, and an engineering presence in Eindhoven via Lace Systems BV / HTCE, with additional UK operations referenced. The company has raised approximately $40.5 million to date, including a $40M Series A in March 2026 led by Atomico with participation from M12 (Microsoft), Linse Capital, SETT, Nysnø Climate Investments, Vsquared Ventures, Future Ventures, Runa Capital, Deep Future, the European Innovation Council, Innovation Norway, and the Research Council of Norway.

Name

Lace Lithography

Legal name

Lace Lithography AS

Website

https://lacelithography.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Lace Lithography is a Norwegian deep-tech startup developing BEUV (Beyond-EUV) helium atom beam lithography systems that enable chip features roughly 10x smaller than current EUV limits, targeting semiconductor foundries, IDMs, and quantum/photonics manufacturers with a pilot tool targeted for ~2029.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Semiconductor Lithography Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827)

akta.pro primary industry

Lithography Equipment (DUV/EUV) (HDAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Photoresists & Lithography Chemicals (Resists/Developers/Anti-Reflective Coatings) (HDAHAGAE)

Keywords

• Semiconductor lithography equipment
• Atom beam lithography
• BEUV chip patterning
• Nanofabrication systems
• Advanced lithography technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. BEUV Atom Lithography Equipment Sales: Lace Lithography plans to generate revenue by selling BEUV (Beyond-EUV) chipmaking equipment systems to semiconductor manufacturers. As a pre-commercial deep tech startup, the company has not yet shipped products. Revenue model will likely involve enterprise equipment sales with long sales cycles typical of semiconductor capital equipment makers. The company is currently in prototype development phase with a target pilot tool in a semiconductor fabrication plant by ~2029.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lace Lithography develops BEUV (Beyond-EUV) atom lithography systems for semiconductor chip manufacturing. The systems use helium atom beams operating at 0.1 nanometers instead of traditional extreme ultraviolet light (13.5 nanometers) to pattern chips, enabling features roughly 10 times smaller than current EUV lithography and supporting AI, quantum computing, and photonics applications. The company targets deployment of a pilot tool in a chip fabrication facility by approximately 2029.

Product overview

Lace Lithography develops a single unified core product: the BEUV (Beyond-EUV) Atom Lithography System. This system replaces traditional light-based lithography with helium atom beams, enabling chip manufacturers to pattern features at atomic-scale resolution—approximately 0.1 nanometers, compared to current EUV systems operating at 13.5 nanometers. The technology aims to extend Moore's Law by enabling chip designs ten times smaller than current limits, targeting applications in AI processors, quantum computing, and photonics. The company plans to deploy a pilot tool in a semiconductor fabrication facility by approximately 2029.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BEUV (Beyond-EUV) Atom Lithography System Next-generation chip patterning system that uses helium atom beams (0.1 nm) instead of EUV light (13.5 nm) to pattern chips at atomic-scale resolution, enabling features roughly 10x smaller than current EUV systems. Targeted at major semiconductor foundries and IDMs producing AI processors, quantum computing chips, and photonics devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Features 10 times smaller than current EUV lithography limits
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• PerTechnical Innovation (Pertechip)minorOthers · 1 January 2026Shown as a backer on Lace's website, indicating a research or ecosystem partnership related to technical innovation.
• CatedraChip (UPC)minorOthers · 1 January 2026CatedraChip at UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) is shown as a backer, indicating a research collaboration or academic partnership in semiconductor technology.
• Innovation NorwayminorOthers · 1 January 2026Norway's government innovation agency, shown as a backer supporting Norwegian deep tech companies in international markets.
• Research Council of NorwayminorOthers · 1 January 2026Norway's national research funding body shown as a backer, supporting fundamental research in physics and technology development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ASML: ASML is the dominant supplier of advanced lithography systems (DUV and EUV) to global semiconductor manufacturers. Lace Lithography is explicitly positioning its BEUV helium atom beam technology as a potential successor to ASML's EUV monopoly for sub-2nm patterning, making ASML the most strategically comparable incumbent.
• Applied Materials: Applied Materials is one of the largest semiconductor capital equipment suppliers globally, offering deposition, etch, inspection, and patterning-adjacent systems. While not a direct lithography competitor, Applied Materials is a key incumbent Lace would need to displace or partner with for ecosystem integration in customer fabs.
• Tokyo Electron: Tokyo Electron is a major Japanese semiconductor capital equipment manufacturer supplying deposition, etch, and lithography-track systems to global fabs. It serves the same enterprise customers (foundries and IDMs) as Lace and represents a broad incumbent competing for share of advanced fab tooling budgets.
• KLA Corporation: KLA is the dominant supplier of process control and inspection equipment for semiconductor fabs. Although its focus is metrology and defect inspection rather than patterning, KLA is tightly integrated into advanced node lithography workflows and serves the same chipmaker customers Lace targets.
• Lam Research: Lam Research is a leading semiconductor capital equipment manufacturer specializing in etch and deposition technologies critical to advanced node manufacturing. While not a direct lithography competitor, Lam serves the same enterprise customers and competes for capital budget allocation in advanced fabs.

Direct peers

• Canon: Canon manufactures semiconductor lithography equipment, including nanoimprint lithography systems targeting advanced patterning applications. It is one of the few non-ASML/Nikon lithography specialists pursuing next-generation patterning approaches, making it directly comparable to Lace as a competing lithography technology developer.
• Nikon: Nikon is one of the three primary merchant suppliers of semiconductor lithography systems (alongside ASML and Canon), historically focused on ArF immersion and i-line tools. As a lithography equipment maker seeking to remain relevant in advanced nodes, Nikon is a natural direct peer to Lace in the merchant lithography market.

Others

• Carl Zeiss SMT: Carl Zeiss SMT is the sole supplier of high-precision optical components for ASML's EUV systems, including the mirror optics that define the platform. As a critical lithography ecosystem enabler, Zeiss is relevant to Lace's commercialization because any new patterning platform will require comparable precision optical/atom-optics component supply chains.

Emerging players

• Multibeam Corporation: Multibeam is developing multi-column electron beam lithography systems as an alternative to optical lithography for advanced node prototyping and low-volume production. Like Lace, it pursues a fundamentally non-optical patterning approach targeting the post-EUV era, making it an emerging peer in the next-gen lithography space.
• Mapper Lithography: Mapper Lithography (now controlled by Chinese interests after bankruptcy) attempted to commercialize multi-beam electron beam lithography as an ASML alternative before running out of capital. Its trajectory illustrates both the strategic opportunity and execution risk of attempting to disrupt advanced lithography, providing a cautionary case study for Lace's go-to-market path.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lace-lithography

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lace Lithography