Press Release

ZEISS invests in Lidrotec to revolutionize chip singulation

Funding will accelerate product development and commercialization efforts of innovative laser systems for chip cutting in semiconductor manufacturing.
26 June 2025
Oberkochen, Germany | 26 June 2025 | ZEISS Group

ZEISS Ventures is pleased to announce its participation in a successful $13.5 million Series A-2 financing round of Lidrotec, a technology start-up specialized in laser systems for chip cutting. The round was co-led by Lam Capital and Goose Capital, alongside new investors such as ZEISS Ventures and NRW.BANK. Lidrotec will accelerate its product development and commercialization efforts with the investment, enabling it to expand its team and deliver novel liquid-mediated laser dicing solutions to both the compound semiconductor and leading-edge semiconductor markets.

Lidrotec's innovative LidroCUT® – laser dicing in liquids for high-precision, low-damage chip cutting.

Lidrotec is a deep tech company pioneering next-generation laser systems for high-precision, low-damage chip cutting. Founded with a vision to revolutionize chip singulation, Lidrotec’s innovative technology combines fluid-based cooling and cleaning with its proprietary laser systems, reducing material damage, heat-affected zone width and particle defects. This results in dramatically lower breakage rates and higher yields, particularly for difficult-to-dice hard materials and thin semiconductors.

"This funding is a major validation of our technology, team and vision," says Alexander Igelmann, Co-Founder and CEO of Lidrotec. "The support from both leading financial and strategic partners gives us the firepower to scale globally and help address the pressing inefficiencies in chip production."

"We believe Lidrotec is in a strong position to become a leading innovator in the semiconductor equipment sector, given the potential of its novel chip singulation approach to address critical challenges in wafer processing. From both an industrial and strategic perspective, we’re excited to support Lidrotec’s expansion, and we look forward to seeing its solution commercialized in growth areas like Advanced Packaging and High Bandwidth Memory,” states Prof. Dr. Boris Hofmann, Head of ZEISS Ventures.

As the semiconductor sector increasingly focuses on throughput and yield, Lidrotec’s solution arrives at a crucial time for the industry, promising to enhance efficiency and performance in chip production.

Press Contact Julian Bosch

Corporate Brand, Communications and Public Affairs
ZEISS Group

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology company in the optics and optoelectronics industry. The ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling around 11 billion euros in its four segments Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (updated: 30 September 2024).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces, and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for life sciences and materials research, as well as medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Industry 4.0 as well as a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping technological progress and, through its solutions, is extending the horizon of the world of optics and associated areas. ZEISS' significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 14% of its revenue in research and development work – ZEISS has a long tradition of high expenditure in these areas. This also represents the company's investment in the future.

With more than 46,555 employees, ZEISS operates in around 50 countries with more than 60 sales and service sites, 40 research and development sites and 35 production sites worldwide (as of 31 March 2025). The headquarters of the company, which was founded in Jena in 1846, is located in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of Germany’s largest foundations committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com

 

About ZEISS Ventures
ZEISS Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of the ZEISS Group, makes investments and actively manages a portfolio of start-up companies. The goal is to invest in and partner with deep-tech start-ups, which go beyond ZEISS' core business and have the potential to disrupt and innovate existing technologies and business models. ZEISS Ventures seeks to empower start-ups not only with financial support but also with access to its resources, expertise, and global network as a deep-tech corporation to foster and accelerate the development and commercialization of market-shaping innovations.Further information at www.zeiss.com/ventures

About Lidrotec
Lidrotec builds laser dicing machines to cut microchips for the semiconductor industry. The unique innovation is the use of liquids to cool and rinse the wafers while they are cut with the laser. This cutting-edge technology will save costs, increase productivity and enable the production of next-generation chips. Further information at www.lidrotec.com

Press Photos

  • LidroCUT®

    Lidrotec's innovative LidroCUT® – laser dicing in liquids for high-precision, low-damage chip cutting.

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