Bloomberg: Axelera AI poised to raise over €150 million

Axelera AI, the Dutch chipmaker headquartered at Eindhoven’s High Tech Campus, has launched talks to secure more than €150 million in fresh funding, according to reports by Bloomberg. The company is said to aim to conclude the round before the end of 2025. This momentum comes as Europe strategically strengthens its AI independence, investing heavily in local talent and technology.

Building on a Strong Foundation

Since its founding in 2021, Axelera AI has garnered an impressive €200+ million in funding across seed, Series A, Series B, and grants. Here's a quick timeline:

• 2021: Seed rounds totaling $12M (€10M), spearheaded by Bitfury Group, imec, and Innovation Industries.
• Late 2022: Oversubscribed Series A (~$27M), continued by Innovation Industries and others.
• June 2024: Landmark $68M (~€62M) Series B, the largest in Europe for a fabless semiconductor firm, bringing total raised to $120M.
• March 2025: Up to €61.6 million grant awarded via EuroHPC’s DARE initiative to support the development of Titania, a scalable AI inference chiplet for high-performance computing.

As of late July 2025, Axelera surpassed the €200M milestone in total funding and has grown to over 200 employees.

Axelera AI's Ioannis Papistas is one of the confirmed speakers on our Watt Matters in AI conference on November 26. Reserve your tickets here.

From Metis to Titania

Axelera’s Metis AI Platform, comprising a custom AI Processing Unit (AIPU) and a Voyager SDK, redefines edge AI by optimizing for performance, energy efficiency, and cost, achieving 3–5× improvements over traditional architectures.

Building on that success, the company is developing Titania, a next-generation chiplet designed for inference workloads in HPC and data centers. Titania employs proprietary Digital In‑Memory Computing (D‑IMC) architecture paired with RISC‑V vector extensions, delivering near-linear scalability from edge devices to AI factories, all while avoiding the power inefficiencies of legacy systems.

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A strategic pillar in Europe’s AI sovereignty

The European Union sees Axelera as a key enabler of digital autonomy. Axelera’s DARE-funded Titania project is part of a broader effort by EuroHPC JU to establish a world-class supercomputing ecosystem in Europe. As Axelera CEO Fabrizio Del Maffeo explained, the company isn't aiming to challenge Nvidia in training; rather, it's offering a compelling alternative for inference: fast, efficient, and “made in Europe”.

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Why this matters

• Technological leadership: Axelera’s innovation showcases European strengths in AI hardware, combining deep research and nimble startup agility.
• Geopolitical relevance: In a world defined by AI competition, homegrown solutions like Metis and Titania carry strategic weight.
• Regional pride: Situated in Brainport Eindhoven, Axelera’s trajectory reflects the Netherlands’ emerging role in global deep-tech leadership.
• Industry influence: By serving sectors ranging from robotics and automotive to healthcare and HPC, Axelera accelerates Europe’s adoption of frontier AI technologies.

With eyes set on a €150M+ raise in 2025, Axelera AI is powering ahead, from edge to data center, with powerful chips, EU backing, and deep expertise. Its evolution is more than a company story; it could well become a chapter in Europe's AI sovereignty.