VAT to acquire Japan's Atonarp for CHF 110M to push into chip sensing
What's the deal? Swiss vacuum valve maker VAT GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has agreed to acquire 100% of Japan-based Atonarp for around CHF 110 million in cash. Atonarp builds miniaturised, mass spectrometry–based sensors for real-time molecular profiling in semiconductor and industrial processes. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
Why now? As chipmaking moves below 2nm, real-time monitoring inside process chambers is becoming critical to avoid deviations and protect yields. Atonarp's sensors capture the full process fingerprint — precursors, byproducts, and plasma species — feeding data into advanced process control.
What's the endgame? The acquisition extends a growth strategy VAT announced at its 2025 Capital Markets Day, letting it integrate sensing into its core valve and adjacencies portfolio. The aim: increase VAT's share of wallet on customers' tools over time.
"Atonarp enables VAT to strengthen its systemic approach in vacuum subsystems by integrating sensing into our portfolio," said Urs Gantner, chief executive officer of VAT, calling sub-2nm manufacturing "a key enabler for AI chips."
The terms: VAT will pay Atonarp's existing shareholders in cash, funded through a committed bilateral loan agreement for CHF 110 million. The two firms will continue to operate separately for now.
"We are excited to join the VAT family," said Prakash Murthy, founder, president, and chief executive officer of Atonarp, adding that VAT's market position "will accelerate the adoption of the ASTON product family."
The signal: The deal reflects how equipment suppliers are bundling more capabilities as leading-edge nodes grow harder to manufacture. By adding in-situ sensing to valves, VAT is betting that process control — not just hardware — is where the next round of chipmaking competition will be won.
Read more: ad-hoc-news.de
