SHINEPHI, a startup born at the Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO), has closed a seed financing round led by Grow Venture Partners and joined by four technical and strategic business angels: Norbert Martínez, Demian Martínez, JL Ferrer, and Alex Gerodimos.
This investment is part of the FITA Fund, managed by Grow Venture Partners, which receives backing from the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Institut Català de Finances (ICF), and the European Investment Fund (EIF), aimed at accelerating deep tech startups in Europe. SHINEPHI is among the first five companies selected by this fund.
A more than 100x leap in sensitivity and speed
SHINEPHI develops devices that enable real-time quantitative optical measurements with optical path difference sensitivity of up to 0.1 nanometers and an image acquisition speed of up to 50 fps. This capability allows early defect detection during semiconductor manufacturing or the analysis of highly transparent structures such as photonic elements in glass or cellular structures, without the need for destructive or toxic methods.
“Our technology combines high sensitivity and speed with high stability, is non-destructive, and compatible with standard optical microscopes. We don’t aim to replace current systems but to enhance them,” explains Dr. Iris Cusini, Head of Technology Development at SHINEPHI.
Applications with multimillion-dollar impact
SHINEPHI’s technology sits at the intersection of three major markets:
Currently, SHINEPHI collaborates with major industry players, including Park Systems, and has developed several functional prototypes.
From ICFO to the global market
The company is part of ICFO’s technology transfer ecosystem, an international leader in photonics. Its team combines scientific and business expertise in imaging, sensors, and industrial collaboration.
Among its advisors and founders is Dr. Valerio Pruneri, professor in ICFO’s Optoelectronics group and a global authority in applied optics.
Next steps
“Our attachable imaging modules transform standard optical systems into high-precision metrology tools for semiconductor manufacturing, nanofabrication, and advanced microscopy. This versatility is SHINEPHI’s greatest strength, allowing us to offer accessible solutions to a wide range of customers from year one,” explains Dr. Roland Terborg, Head of Business Development.
The financing will allow SHINEPHI to accelerate the commercialization of its solutions, providing semiconductor and nanofabrication industries with faster, more reliable metrology tools to improve process control and increase manufacturing yields.
Additionally, the company will move towards CE certification, new industrial licensing agreements, and the development of a second-generation product line.
About SHINEPHI
SHINEPHI is a spin-off from the Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO) focused on developing interferometric phase imaging technology (LIM). Its solution enables high-precision optical measurements in real time, with applications in semiconductors, biotechnology, and materials science.
Founding team
About Grow Venture Partners
Grow Venture Partners is a venture capital firm specializing in technology transfer, investing in early-stage companies from universities and research centers, mainly in DeepTech, MedTech, and Sustainability sectors. Its diverse and committed team works with a service-oriented mindset to help build better founders and, together with them, create sustainable wealth and jobs with a positive impact on the world.
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