What have expats ever done for the Netherlands? Well, Nearfield Instruments, founded by Iranian expat Dr. Hamed Sadeghian, just raised the Netherlands largest deep-tech funding round. Fidelity Management & Research Company and Qatar Investment Authority join existing investors including TNO.
This TNO spinout has developed a unique nanoscale metrology machine that can measure the critical structures of microchips in the manufacturing process. This is crucial in the fab where so many chips are flawed and unusable. Nearfield’s metrology machines use AFM probes that measure changes in atomic force fields without touching the surface of a chip. So, this is technology that TSMC, Micron and every chip fab must have.
The kind of equipment we make does not involve a one-off 1 million euro investment, but multiple rounds involving hundreds of millions. Yet if we were to succeed, then not only the financial reward would be huge, but we would also make a big impact on society.” Hamed Sadeghian. CEO of Nearfield Instruments
We usually run tech on Tech Tuesday, but to quote Joe Biden, this is a BFD. Suddenly, the Netherlands has yet another semiconductor monopoly to go along with ASML, which makes the world’s most advanced photolithography machines. Until today, the biggest raise was the more than $250 million Axelera AI closed in February. Before that, Nearfield has raised €135 million in July 2024. So, these two companies seemed poised to duke it out in the capital markets. We’ve met Hamed many times and have visited the factory. So, we will have more on this later.
Also, Hamed is an original supporter of Fe+male Tech Heroes, an initiative at High Tech Campus Eindhoven to get more women into tech. You can read his profile here.
Meanwhile, here’s the full Nearfield Instruments release:
ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Nearfield Instruments, a leader in advanced semiconductor 3D metrology and process control, today announced the successful closure of a $380 million Series D funding round. The transaction values the company at $1.6 billion, marking a major milestone in Nearfield’s development into a global leader in semiconductor metrology and inspection.
This latest round of funding was led by new investor Fidelity Management & Research Company, along with Temasek, Walden Catalyst Ventures, Innovation Industries, M&G Investments, and Invest-NL. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) participated in this round as a new investor. Other existing investors, TNO Ventures and ING also contributed to this oversubscribed round which represents the largest ever for deep-tech in the Netherlands.
This significant investment marks a major milestone in Nearfield’s development as an emerging global leader in semiconductor metrology and inspection. The funding will serve to accelerate the company’s innovation roadmap, establish worldwide Applications Centers of Excellence, significantly expand production capacity, strengthen its global customer support organization, and deepen collaborative R&D with leading semiconductor manufacturers.
As AI continues to scale, the semiconductor industry must deliver dramatically more computing performance while reducing energy consumption and enabling data to move faster and more efficiently. Nearfield’s innovative metrology and inspection solutions provide the accurate, reliable and high-throughput measurements needed to control advanced processes, improve yield and ensure manufacturability.
By enabling critical measurements for High Numerical Aperture Extreme Ultraviolet (High-NA EUV), Gate-All-Around (GAA) and Complementary Field-Effect Transistor (CFET architectures), and hybrid-bonded 3D integration, Nearfield plays a central role in making the next generation of AI computing scalable, energy-efficient, manufacturable and reliable.
“This highly successful funding round marks a defining moment in our journey and reflects the growing strategic importance of metrology and inspection in the era of AI-driven semiconductor innovation,” says Dr. Hamed Sadeghian, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nearfield Instruments. “We are proud to welcome the continued support of existing investors and the confidence of new global investors who understand both the scale of the opportunity ahead and the critical role Nearfield is positioned to play in the semiconductor ecosystem.”
“With this investment, we have one clear vision: to serve our customers with the highest execution, reliability, and speed while delivering breakthrough metrology and inspection solutions for the next generation of semiconductor devices. Nearfield is no longer an emerging player—we’re building a global technology company that’s here to stay, scale, and lead.”
Niranjan Sirdeshpande, Head of Catalyst at M&G Investments, comments: “As global semiconductor demand accelerates, the ability to manufacture chips with atomic precision becomes a strategic imperative. Nearfield’s innovative metrology platform directly addresses the process control challenges that advanced chipmakers face as they push toward next-generation nodes and 3D integration architectures. We are confident in the company’s technology, market opportunity, and execution roadmap, and we’re pleased to continue to support Nearfield as it scales its solutions to address this critical manufacturing bottleneck.”
Young Sohn, Founding Managing Partner at Walden Catalyst Ventures adds: “Nearfield Instruments is operating at the intersection of two powerful industry shifts: the rapid scaling of AI and the transition to increasingly complex 3D semiconductor architectures. As the semiconductor industry enters a critical new phase, advanced metrology and inspection will become essential enablers of the next generation of chip innovation. We are excited to continue supporting the company’s growth.”
About Nearfield Instruments
Nearfield Instruments develops advanced 3D metrology and inspection solutions for the semiconductor industry, specializing in next-generation scanning probe microscopy systems that deliver in-line 3D nanometer-scale metrology. Designed for seamless integration into high-volume manufacturing environments, Nearfield’s solutions combine robust automation, fast measurement cycles, and compatibility with fab standards to support the next generation of semiconductor innovation. Its proprietary QUADRA platform enables non-destructive, high-throughput atomic force microscopy (AFM) with full 3D imaging capabilities, including sidewall measurements of complex structures such as high-aspect-ratio trenches, GAA recess, vias, and multi-layered stacks critical to advanced logic, memory, and 3D IC packaging applications. Founded in 2016 as a spin-off from TNO and headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the company operates in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, the United States, and Belgium, to do R&D with its customers and support customers worldwide. Nearfield Instruments employs approximately 450 people globally and works closely with the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers and research partners.
For more information, visit www.nearfieldinstruments.com.
Co-CEO of Dispatches Europe. A former military reporter, I'm a serial expat who has lived in France, Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands.
