With $2.5 million in pre-seed funding, Chipmind launches AI agents that autonomously handle complex tasks, saving engineers time and accelerating semiconductor development.
European startup Chipmind has officially launched its AI-driven platform, Chipmind Agents, aiming to transform semiconductor development by automating complex chip design and verification tasks. The firm also announced a $2.5 million pre-seed funding round led by Founderful and supported by semiconductor industry angel investors.
Chipmind Agents are designed to integrate directly into existing engineering workflows. By leveraging each client’s proprietary data, the agents autonomously execute multi-step design and verification tasks, while keeping engineers in complete control.
This approach reduces repetitive, low-level work, enabling engineering teams to save up to 40% of their time and accelerate the path from specification to manufacturing.
“Our agents are not generic tools,” said Harald Kröll, Co-Founder and CEO of Chipmind. “They understand the full context of each chip design, adapting to proprietary tools and hierarchical structures. This design awareness is what transforms them into intelligent collaborators rather than mere assistants.”
The startup emphasises compatibility with legacy Electronic Design Automation (EDA) systems, enabling companies to modernise workflows without discarding existing investments. “We prepare the current environment for agentic automation, making traditional systems future-ready,” Kröll added.
Sandro Belfanti, Co-Founder and CTO, highlighted the practical benefits, “Chip development often involves tedious, repetitive tasks. Chipmind Agents handle these autonomously, letting engineers focus on creative problem-solving and innovation.”
Founded by Kröll and Belfanti, who met during their PhDs at ETH Zurich, Chipmind builds on decades of experience in AI and semiconductor design. The team has developed more than 20 chips, including mobile modems and system-on-chip solutions.
Edouard Treccani, principal at Founderful, noted, “Chipmind addresses a real, pressing challenge in chip design. The team’s market-driven approach and early feedback have been exceptionally promising.”
With rising chip complexity and the growing acceptance of AI among engineers, Chipmind sees itself at the forefront of a new era of human-AI collaboration in semiconductor innovation. The startup hopes that the funding will accelerate product development, expand the engineering team, and strengthen industry partnerships.
