Airbus Ventures announces its investment in Zero-Error Systems (ZES), specializing in high-reliability semiconductor solutions for space and power management applications. With participation from the Dart Family Office and Airbus Ventures, among others, this oversubscribed USD $7.5M Series A funding round will expand the company’s global sales and marketing efforts, as well as accelerate its product roadmap journey, meeting the growing demand for radiation protection, power reliability, and data integrity solutions specifically designed for Low Earth Orbit satellites, deep space rovers and landers, and a wide array of power management application needs on Earth.
In recent years, there has been a notable increase in companies developing application-rich satellites and high-precision space robots for lunar and Mars missions. While software and algorithms play a crucial role in driving intelligence, hardware and semiconductor innovations are equally important in supporting the high processing power required, ensuring reliability in extreme environments, and enabling higher power density in energy-constrained satellites, while prolonging their lifespan in space.
“Many aerospace companies rely on Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) semiconductor devices for their satellite electronics systems, which are not designed to withstand the harsh conditions of space,” explains Dr. Shu Wei, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of ZES. “Our capabilities address essential power reliability and data integrity concerns by safeguarding COTS semiconductor devices from malfunctions with our patented radiation hardening technologies.”
A university spin-off from Nanyang Technological University Singapore, ZES was founded in 2019 by experienced semiconductor industry veterans and integrated circuit design experts with a deep understanding of semiconductor device characteristics, their behavior in various radiation scenarios, and the essential radiation-hardened mechanisms required to protect semiconductors’ physical integrity.
“ZES takes pride in being a pioneering Asian semiconductor startup to develop radiation-hardened semiconductor solutions. By bridging the space and semiconductor industries, ZES plays a strategic role in Singapore’s tech landscape,” explains Khor Hwai Lin, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at ZES. “As part of ZES’ new growth plan, our team now plans to elevate its engineering capacity by recruiting additional electronics engineers specializing in space and various power management applications.”
This latest financing will also support the company’s R&D activities in Singapore while facilitating customer design-in activities globally.
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