This startup develops new materials using nanoparticles. Check out the 13-slide deck VSParticle used to secure $15.8 million.

• Dutch startup VSParticle has secured $15.8 million in fresh funding from Plural.
• The company develops new materials using nanoparticle printing tools.
• VSParticle believes its tech can help address urgent issues like the climate crisis.

A Dutch startup developing new materials using nanoparticles has secured $15.8 million in a round led by Plural.

VSParticle, which launched in 2014, aims to cut the time it takes to engineer new materials with its nanoparticle printing tools, which break down materials into the size of nanoparticles so they can be reassembled. 

“Our nanoparticle technology mixes materials in a similar way an office printer can take four basic colors and turn them into 16,000+ new ones,” said cofounder and CEO, Aaike van der Vugt. 

Currently, research scientists in labs are often required to test and retest these materials in a trial-and-error process. VSP’s technology claims to process up to two-thirds of the elements on the periodic table — a feat that can rapidly speed up how new materials are discovered.

VSP believes its technology can cater to pressing, urgent scenarios — such as the climate crisis, and health outbreaks, which rely on the development of new materials to mitigate their impact.

The technology is being used to propel decarbonization efforts through the mass production of Catalyst Coated Membranes (CCMs) — a component that’s key when producing green hydrogen. VSP’s technology is also streamlining the development of gas sensors that can better detect air pollutants in buildings, in a bid to improve healthcare outcomes in those environments.

“With VSParticle’s technology, we can reduce the time it takes for material discovery from 15 years to only one,” van der Vugt added. In one study, the tech was able to develop 64 new materials within two hours without any human intervention — a process that would otherwise take years.

Currently, the startup makes its money by selling its nanoparticle printing tools to universities, and research and development teams, which form the bulk of its client base. 

As deeptech funding slowed in 2022, with VCs pouring $20 billion into European startups in the sector, many companies were forced to make cuts and downsize — partly due to rising energy costs feeding into their operational expenses.

The startup bucked the trend thanks to the backing of investors who “understood the science,” an aspect that was integral to their mission, according to van der Vugt. The round was led by Sten Tamkivi from Plural, a European fund launched by startup founders. 

With the cash injection, VSP will scale its services to introduce its industrial production tools to new markets and continue to work on creating gas sensors and CCMs for green hydrogen.

Check out the 13-slide deck used to raise the fresh funds.