European startup Chipmind has officially launched from stealth mode with $2.5 million in pre-seed funding to deploy its breakthrough AI technology designed to accelerate chip development.
The company introduced Chipmind Agents, an advanced suite of artificial intelligence tools created to help engineers complete chip design and verification tasks up to 40% faster by automating repetitive and time-intensive processes.
According to Chipmind’s Co-Founder and CEO, Harald Kröll, the company’s mission is to bridge the gap between traditional Electronic Design Automation (EDA) systems and next-generation AI capabilities. “Each company’s chip has a complex structure with unique constraints and workflows,” Kröll said. “Our ‘design-aware’ AI agents are built to understand the full chip hierarchy, adapt automatically to existing tools, and support engineers like a real co-worker, without taking control away from them.”
Chipmind’s approach integrates directly into a client’s proprietary environment, learning from internal data and customizing itself to match the company’s workflow. The result is a seamless collaboration where AI performs multi-step engineering tasks while the human expert focuses on innovation and creative problem-solving.
The startup’s Co-Founder and CTO, Sandro Belfanti, described the motivation behind the product as deeply personal. “Chip development often demands long hours on repetitive work that doesn’t require creativity,” Belfanti said. “We wanted to create something that takes care of the tedious parts so engineers can focus on real challenges. That’s what Chipmind Agents deliver.”
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Founded by Kröll and Belfanti, who met during their PhD research at ETH Zurich, the company brings together more than two decades of experience in artificial intelligence and semiconductor design. The duo has collectively developed over twenty chips, from mobile modems to complex system-on-chip architectures.
The semiconductor industry, now under pressure to meet global demand for faster and more powerful processors, faces escalating design complexity that traditional workflows can no longer handle efficiently. Chipmind’s AI-driven solution offers a timely response to this growing challenge, introducing what many in the sector see as the next phase of human-AI collaboration in chipmaking.
Chipmind’s $2.5 million pre-seed round was led by Founderful, with support from prominent angel investors within the semiconductor community. The funding will enable the company to expand its engineering team, speed up product development, and strengthen its partnerships with top chip manufacturers.
Edouard Treccani, Principal at Founderful, praised the company’s practical approach to AI, saying, “In a world full of hype, Chipmind stands out for solving a real, industry-rooted problem. Their deep understanding of both chip design and AI makes them a rare and valuable team. We’re proud to back them.”
As the chip industry enters a new era of complexity and automation, Chipmind’s AI agents could become the defining tool for engineering teams seeking faster innovation cycles and competitive advantage.
