TLDR: Zurich-based startup Chipmind has successfully raised $2.5 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Founderful, with participation from angel investors in the semiconductor industry. The company, founded by Harald Kröll and Sandro Belfanti, is pioneering the use of AI agents to automate and accelerate microchip design and verification processes, aiming to reduce development cycles and enhance engineering efficiency.
Zurich, Switzerland – October 21, 2025 – Chipmind, an innovative European startup, has emerged from stealth mode announcing a significant $2.5 million in pre-seed funding. This investment, spearheaded by Founderful and supported by a consortium of prominent angel investors from the semiconductor sector, is set to fuel the expansion of its engineering team and accelerate the development of its groundbreaking AI agents for chip design.
Founded by Harald Kröll and Sandro Belfanti, who initially connected during their PhD studies at ETH Zurich, Chipmind is poised to revolutionize the microchip development landscape. Both founders bring extensive expertise in artificial intelligence and chip design, boasting a track record of developing over 20 chips, ranging from mobile phone modems to complex system-on-chip solutions.
The core of Chipmind’s offering lies in its sophisticated AI agents, designed to autonomously tackle real-world chip design and verification tasks. This technology aims to streamline the traditionally repetitive and time-consuming aspects of chip development, enabling engineers to save up to 40% of their time on low-level, routine operations. The ultimate goal is to empower semiconductor companies to significantly shorten development cycles, minimize errors, and foster greater innovation from specification to manufacturing.
Edouard Treccani, Principal at Founderful, expressed strong confidence in Chipmind’s vision, stating, “In a world buzzing with AI every day, Chipmind stands out as a refreshingly real solution to a problem Harald and Sandro have spent 20 years deep in. From day one, they’ve demonstrated a clear understanding of the industry’s pain points and a practical approach to leveraging AI.”
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Chipmind’s strategic focus on integrating AI into existing chip design environments and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tool flows positions it as a key player in the evolving semiconductor industry. The company is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, and is committed to fostering human-AI collaboration to manage the immense complexity of modern chip design, thereby unlocking engineering creativity and enabling the next generation of technological advancements.
