UK semiconductor tech startup raises £15m
The optimisation technology developed by Flexciton can drive efficiency gains of 10 per cent to boost the throughput of wafer fabs. With chips requiring 500 to 2,000 process steps, a 10 percent improvement on over 1,000 machines in a wafer fab can save tens of millions of dollars a year and speed up production.
The Series A round was led by Nadav Rosenberg of Saras Capital and will be used for more hiring. This brings the total raised so far to £21m.
这家位于伦敦的公司由杰米·波特（Jamie Potter）和丹尼斯·Xenos（Dennis Xenos）于2016年成立，他们在优化的制造领域工作了十多年，重点是高级数学如何解决制造计划问题。他们说，这种复杂系统的不可预测性只能使用机器学习来理解。
The team has since grown to 41, made of world-class experts, combining the disciplines of mathematics, semiconductor scheduling, AI, optimisation, data science and software development.
“自动化已经被许多半导体制造商使用。但是，即使在安排本身自动化的高级晶圆厂中，用于做出这些决策的软件也倾向于基于人类编程并由历史数据确定的预定义规则。是的，它可以比人类操作员更快地计算出不同的选项，但是这些选项仍然是“最佳猜测”，而不是最佳的结果，” Flexciton首席执行官Potter说。
“Flexciton is able to create an overview of how the entire fab is operating and rapidly sift through the trillions of options available, to come up with the optimal decision at that precise point in time. Using AI-powered mathematical algorithms and Mixed Integer Linear Programming, we can analyse real-time data – not historical – and make the best choices possible based on what is happening in a fab at a given moment. Our vision is to become the best in the world at running semiconductor fabs, before turning our attention to support other manufacturers. This investment plays a key part in achieving this, as we expand our team.”
“Semiconductors are the fundamental building blocks of modern life. More than any other development of the scientific age, they have completely revolutionised the way that we work, play, communicate and learn. Demand will keep growing, and the industry must consider how to better utilise its current assets, before expanding and using further resources to meet demand. Efficiency is key. Flexciton is the first company to successfully apply this level of machine intelligence to real-world manufacturing, with hugely impressive results,” said Nadav Rosenberg, an investor who has supported the team since their early days and led the current Series A round.
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