Nexus B closes $12.7M Series C for ALD equipment expansion
What's the deal? Nexus B, a South Korean maker of atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment, has closed a $12.7M Series C round. Anda Asia VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an existing backer, returned alongside new investors IBK Venture InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Shinyoung SecuritiesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, T Investment, Platinum Technology InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and IBK Industrial Bank. Korea Development BankDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (KDB) and KDB CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → also contributed.
Founded in 2015, Nexus B builds ALD equipment used across semiconductors, displays, solar cells, secondary batteries, and power semiconductors. It operates production facilities in Yongin and Hwaseong and supplies equipment to roughly 80 universities and research institutions worldwide.
Why now? ALD is becoming essential as semiconductor manufacturing pushes to ever-finer process nodes. Compared to conventional chemical vapour deposition, ALD produces thinner, more uniform films — a requirement for 3D NAND, next-generation DRAM, advanced packaging, and OLED displays.
Nexus B is jointly developing next-generation cluster-type equipment with a global manufacturer. If that effort succeeds, mass production supply could begin from 2028. The company also sees near-term revenue from perovskite solar cells, with mass production expected from next year after pilot demonstrations this year.
The silicon capacitor market is another target. Nexus B is working on a government-backed project aimed at SamsungDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → Electronics and Samsung Electro-Mechanics supply chains — potentially opening the door to ALD equipment sales for ultra-thin capacitor production tied to high-bandwidth memory and AI chips.
What could go wrong? The company's biggest growth drivers — the cluster-type equipment partnership and perovskite solar cell revenue — remain forward-looking. Delays in joint development or slower-than-expected commercialisation could stretch the runway this round provides.
ALD equipment is also a competitive space dominated by global incumbents. Breaking into mass production supply chains at scale requires sustained capital and long qualification cycles with chipmakers.
The signal: The breadth of this syndicate — spanning state-backed lenders like KDB, securities firms, and dedicated venture funds — underscores how South Korea's financial ecosystem is rallying behind homegrown semiconductor equipment plays as the country seeks to reduce reliance on foreign tool suppliers. Nexus B is still classified as early stage on Dealroom despite reaching Series C, a reminder that hardware-intensive deep tech companies face longer capitalisation cycles before revenue inflects. With mass production milestones for both cluster-type tools and perovskite solar cells pencilled in for 2026–2028, the next funding round will likely hinge on whether pilot wins convert into recurring equipment orders.
Read more: Yonhap Infomax
