Berlin’s NextGO Epi Secures €2M to Revolutionize Power Semiconductors with Gallium Oxide

Berlin-based DeepTech startup NextGO Epi has secured a €2 million pre-Seed funding round, led by Vireo Ventures. Participating investors include Ultratech Capital Partners, IBB Ventures, and angel investor Boris Habets. This marks the company’s first institutional backing, positioning it as Europe’s only producer of Gallium Oxide epitaxial wafers—a material set to redefine power electronics.

Dr. Ta-Shun Chou, CEO and co-founder, stated, “Gallium oxide is to power electronics what silicon was to compute, and Europe should own that value chain.” Founded in 2025 by Dr. Chou, Dr. Andreas Popp, and Dr. Andreas Fiedler, NextGO Epi has developed a semiconductor process that could reduce EV charging times from 60 to just 10 minutes while cutting manufacturing costs by up to 75%.

A spin-off from Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (IKZ), the company produces industrial-quality Gallium Oxide epiwafers up to 4 inches in size. These wafers form the electrically active layer in next-gen power semiconductor devices, offering 10x more power efficiency and handling up to 6x higher voltage density than Silicon Carbide or Gallium Nitride.

NextGO Epi’s technology is already deployed in EV charging stations, renewable energy inverters, AI data centers, and missile tracking systems. The company is in production, generating revenue, and serving customers across three continents. Its most immediate impact is in EV charging, where its product enables a full charge in just 10 minutes, even in cold weather.

The startup aligns with Brussels’ Chips Act 2.0, which seeks to reduce Europe’s reliance on Asian and US suppliers for semiconductor materials. NextGO Epi plans to use the new capital to accelerate product development, expand its team, and strengthen its commercial presence in Europe and beyond.