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- NexWafe
NexWafe Valuation, Funding & Investors
NexWafe is valued at $143M as of May 2023.
Last NexWafe valuation
$143M
Series D · May 2023
Last NexWafe funding round
$32M
Series D · May 2023
Cumulative funding NexWafe raised
$107M
across 7 funding rounds
Key investors in NexWafe
Lynwood (Schweiz) AG
Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures
EIT InnoEnergy
Reliance New Energy Solar
Athos Capital
Aramco Ventures
About NexWafe
NexWafe is a Munich-based producer of high-quality monocrystalline silicon wafers for solar cell manufacturers using kerfless epitaxial technology. The company's diamond wire saw-free process yields wafers fully compatible with standard PERC and bifacial cell lines at significantly reduced costs. NexWafe's facility in Germany produces wafers thinner than 150 microns, targeting gigawatt-scale production to lower photovoltaic module prices globally.
Founded
2015
HQ
Website
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Product sales
Valuation
$143M (May 2023)
NexWafe Valuation
NexWafe is currently valued at $143M, based on its Series D in May 2023.
The $32M round included Keshik Capital, Alex Turnbull, Athos Capital, Malcolm Turnbull, Reliance New Energy Solar and 1 other investor.
NexWafe valuation by funding round
| Date | Stage | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| May 2023 | Series D | $143M |
NexWafe Funding History
NexWafe has raised a total of $107M across 7 funding rounds.
NexWafe's first fundraising round was a $7M Series A in March 2016. The most recent completed round was a $32M Series D in May 2023.
NexWafe funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2023 | Series D | Keshik Capital; Alex Turnbull; Athos Capital; Malcolm Turnbull; Reliance New Energy Solar; Aramco Ventures | $32M | $143M | NexWafe is a German deep-tech company specializing in advanced direct gas-to-wafer solar wafer manufacturing technology, offering high material efficiency, low energy consumption, and performance suited for terrestrial and space applications. Founded in 2015 as a spin-off from Fraunhofer ISE, it produces patented green n-type monocrystalline wafers via an epitaxial process that simplifies polysilicon production, reduces energy use and costs, and matches Czochralski wafer performance. On May 31, 2023, NexWafe closed a Series C - III funding round raising $32 million (€30 million) from investors including Alex Turnbull, Aramco Ventures, Athos Capital, Keshik Capital, Malcolm Turnbull, and Reliance New Energy Solar to accelerate construction of its first commercial-scale wafer plant in Bitterfeld, Germany, with initial 50 MW capacity planned for 2027 operations. The funds support breaking ground on the Bitterfeld facility to produce efficient, low-cost green solar wafers for global PV manufacturers, aligning with reshoring efforts via the US Inflation Reduction Act and Europe's Green Deal Industrial Plan. Strategic partnerships underpin growth: Reliance Industries, having invested €25 million ($29 million) in a prior 2021 Series C round, collaborates on commercializing ultra-thin epi-wafers for its Indian gigawatt facility. Aramco Ventures supports a future green wafer plant in Saudi Arabia via its $1.5 billion Sustainability Fund. Subsequent developments include a €26 million equity award under the European Commission's EIC STEP Scale-Up program in November 2025 for Series D, recognizing NexWafe's role in clean energy and advanced manufacturing strategic autonomy, with strong space sector interest for radiation-tolerant wafers. |
| Apr 2022 | Series C | Ecosummit (lead) | $7M | - | NexWafe, a German deep-tech company developing advanced direct gas-to-wafer solar wafer manufacturing technology, closed its Series C funding round in April 2022 with an additional €7.0M (~$7.7M) raise, bringing the total to €39.0M (~$44.6M). Ecosummit participated in this second close alongside investors including Reliance Industries Limited, InnoEnergy, HEMMA Group, and Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures. The funds supported completion of product and technology development for NexWafe’s solar photovoltaic products on prototype lines in Freiburg. NexWafe's epitaxial wafer technology aims to accelerate the renewable energy transition by providing more efficient, lower-cost, greener solar wafers for photovoltaic manufacturers globally, including strategic partners committed to gigawatt-scale implementation. The company focuses on high material efficiency, low energy consumption, and performance suited for terrestrial and space applications. This Series C round built on prior investments and positioned NexWafe for subsequent funding, including a €30M raise in 2023 from existing and new investors like Aramco Ventures and ATHOS Venture to accelerate its first commercial-scale facility in Bitterfeld, Germany. |
| Oct 2021 | Series C | Reliance New Energy Solar (lead); EIT InnoEnergy; Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures; Lynwood (Schweiz) AG | $37M | - | NexWafe is a German solar wafer producer developing a patented gas-to-wafer process for monocrystalline silicon wafers, aiming to reduce production costs, energy use, and time compared to traditional methods. The technology supports ultra-thin, high-efficiency EpiWafers for photovoltaic manufacturers and was spun out from Fraunhofer ISE in 2015. In October 2021, NexWafe closed the first tranche of its Series C round, raising approximately $43.5M (equivalent to €39M total Series C including second close in December 2021), with investors including Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings (investing €25M for 86,887 preferred shares at €287.73 each), Aramco Ventures, EIT InnoEnergy, and Lynwood Capital Partners. Reliance New Energy Solar led with this strategic investment to support commercialization of low-cost solar wafer tech. The Series C funding, totaling €39M across closes, was allocated to complete product and technology development on prototype lines in Freiburg, Germany, accelerating the renewable energy transition with greener, lower-cost wafers for gigawatt-scale implementation by strategic partners. Post-2021, NexWafe continued fundraising, including a Series C-III €30M ($32M) in May 2023 from existing backers like Reliance and Aramco Ventures, plus new investors such as ATHOS Venture, Malcolm Turnbull, and Keshik Capital, to build its first commercial-scale wafer plant in Bitterfeld. In 2025, NexWafe received EU EIC STEP Scale Up funding as part of €171M across eight deep-tech firms. |
| Feb 2021 | Series B | Bantina Invest Ltd.; Fraunhofer Venture; Gap Technology Holding; Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures; Lynwood (Schweiz) AG | $12M | - | NexWafe GmbH, a German spinoff from Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE founded in 2015, develops EpiNex green high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon wafers compatible with existing solar cell production lines, offering 70% lower carbon footprint, 30% reduced production costs, and enabling ultra-thin wafers. The company raised €10 million ($12 million) in a Series B round on February 4, 2021, from investors including Bantina Invest Ltd., Fraunhofer Venture, Gap Technology Holding, Lynwood (Schweiz) AG, and Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures. Funds support industrialization of EpiNex technology, pilot manufacturing in its 5 MW Freiburg facility, qualification shipments starting in 2021, and partnerships for commercialization. |
| Dec 2017 | Series A | Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures (lead); Wermuth Asset Management; Lynwood (Schweiz) AG | $10M | - | NexWafe is a Germany-based developer of epitaxial fabrication technology for monocrystalline silicon wafers used in photovoltaic solar panels. Founded in 2015 as a spin-off from Fraunhofer ISE, the company's proprietary process produces high-efficiency wafers at lower costs than conventional methods, with the ability to create ultra-thin wafers while remaining compatible with existing production equipment. The company closed a €8 million ($9.4 million) financing round in December 2017 led by Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, with participation from Lynwood (Schweiz) AG and Green Gateway Fund 2. Proceeds were designated for commissioning NexWafe's 5MW wafer production line in Freiburg and conducting initial customer qualifications. The round represented continued investor confidence following prior funding commitments from Lynwood and Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures in earlier stages, as well as a €2.1 million investment from KIC InnoEnergy in early 2017. |
| Jan 2017 | Seed | EIT InnoEnergy (lead) | $2M | - | - |
| Mar 2016 | Series A | Lynwood (Schweiz) AG (lead) | $7M | - | NexWafe GmbH, a spinoff from Fraunhofer ISE, develops EpiWafer technology to produce high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon wafers directly from chlorosilane with low energy and material usage for the photovoltaic industry. The company completed a Euro 6 million Series A financing round on March 7, 2016, led by Lynwood (Schweiz) AG to support commercialization and qualification of EpiWafers with solar cell and module partners. Funds will build a pilot line for partner qualifications before scaling to larger production. |
Who has invested in NexWafe?
14 investors have backed NexWafe across its funding rounds, including Lynwood (Schweiz) AG, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, EIT InnoEnergy, Reliance New Energy Solar, Athos Capital and Aramco Ventures.
Lead investors include Ecosummit, Reliance New Energy Solar, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, EIT InnoEnergy and Lynwood (Schweiz) AG.
NexWafe Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Lead | Mar 2016 | ||
| 3 | Lead | Dec 2017 | ||
| 2 | Lead | Jan 2017 | ||
| 2 | Lead | Oct 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | May 2023 | ||
| 1 | Participant | May 2023 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Dec 2017 | ||
| 1 | Participant | May 2023 | ||
| 1 | Participant | May 2023 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Feb 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Feb 2021 | ||
| 1 | Lead | Apr 2022 | ||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 14 NexWafe investors. Start Free Trial | ||||
Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.
Start Free TrialNexWafe Competitors
NexWafe competitors include listed companies like EnSilica, D&O Green Technologies and Atomera, and private ones like Bomi Technology, e-peas and Novelda.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | $5M | - | $145M | 29.0x | ||
| Private | - | - | $147M | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $24M | ($1M) | $139M | 3.7x | ||
| Publicly listed | $242M | ($43M) | $150M | 1.1x | ||
| Private | - | - | $150M | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $65K | ($20M) | $156M | 508.6x |
NexWafe Public Comps
NexWafe is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Conpet, PannErgy, EnSilica, D&O Green Technologies, Empresa Metropolitana de Águas e Energia, Dynagas LNG Partners, Carnarvon Energy, Enda Enerji, GS Global and Atomera.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $119M | $31M | 1.0x | - | 3.7x | - | |||
| $28M | $14M | 6.2x | - | 12.6x | - | |||
| $24M | ($1M) | 6.0x | 3.7x | (117.8x) | 21.9x | |||
| $242M | ($43M) | 1.1x | 1.1x | (6.4x) | 60.9x | |||
| $93M | ($40M) | 0.7x | - | (1.5x) | - | |||
| $157M | $113M | 2.6x | 2.7x | 3.6x | - | |||
| - | ($4M) | - | - | (17.6x) | (18.0x) | |||
| $25M | ($9M) | 7.6x | - | (22.2x) | - | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all NexWafe competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about NexWafe
| When was NexWafe founded? | NexWafe was founded in 2015. |
| Where is NexWafe headquartered? | NexWafe is headquartered in Freiburg, Germany. |
| Is NexWafe publicly listed? | No, NexWafe is a private, VC-backed company. |
| What is NexWafe's valuation? | NexWafe was last valued at $143M in its Series D in May 2023. |
| How much funding has NexWafe raised? | NexWafe has raised $107M across 7 funding rounds. |
| What was NexWafe's last funding round? | NexWafe's last funding round was a $32M Series D in May 2023. |
| Who are NexWafe's investors? | NexWafe's investors include Lynwood (Schweiz) AG, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, EIT InnoEnergy, Reliance New Energy Solar, Keshik Capital, Alex Turnbull, Wermuth Asset Management, Athos Capital, Malcolm Turnbull, Bantina Invest Ltd. and 4 others. |
| Which companies are comparable to NexWafe? | Companies comparable to NexWafe include Bomi Technology, e-peas, EnSilica, D&O Green Technologies, Novelda and Atomera. |
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