Building Europe’s Memory Independence: DTCF invests in FMC’s €100M financing round

Today, the DeepTech & Climate Fonds (DTCF) announced the investment in Ferroelectric Memory Company (FMC), a Dresden-based semiconductor pioneer developing the next generation of high-performance, energy-efficient memory technology.

FMC has raised a total of €100 million, consisting of €77 million in equity and €23 million in public funding, making it one of the largest capital rounds in the European semiconductor sector. The equity round was co-led by HV Capital and DTCF, with participation from Vsquared Ventures, Bosch Ventures, Air Liquide Venture Capital, M Ventures (Merck), Verve Ventures, and others. 

FMC’s patented technology leverages the ferroelectric properties of hafnium oxide to create a new class of memory cells that combine the speed of DRAM with the persistence of flash. Its DRAM+ and 3D CACHE+ architectures deliver over 100% higher system efficiency and processing speed than conventional chips — a breakthrough for AI data centers and edge computing. Unlike traditional DRAM, FMC’s memory stores information in the position of ions rather than in an electric charge, minimizing energy loss and enabling a “natural memory process” that is both faster and more sustainable. The result: significantly lower energy demand, reduced data transfer bottlenecks, and the potential to redefine performance benchmarks across the global semiconductor industry.

Tobias Faupel, Managing Director at DTCF, commented: “Memory chips are a critical layer of modern computing, and one where Europe must build greater independence. FMC shows how deep technological excellence made in Germany can strengthen Europe’s semiconductor sovereignty.”

Thomas Rückes, CEO of FMC, said: “We are working on the next generation of memory chips and system solutions that are not only more sustainable and energy efficient, but also faster and less expensive than the current industry standard. While bandwidth has so far been the dominant metric of AI compute, energy efficiency is now becoming the key factor for the next generation of AI. Memory chips are the main bottleneck in the AI stack. FMC’s DRAM+ and 3D CACHE+ technology addresses precisely this issue: Faster and more energy efficient than established products. This lays the foundation for scaling up AI data centres and AI edge applications. Securing an equity financing of this magnitude emphasizes the significance of our technology, and we are grateful to have earned the trust of leading deep-tech investors for our vision.” 

Dr. Torsten Löffler, Investment Director at DTCF, added: “FMC’s memory architecture solves one of AI’s key challenges: combining performance with energy efficiency. Its technology eliminates bottlenecks in data processing and paves the way for faster, more sustainable computing at scale.“ 

With this investment, DTCF supports FMC’s mission to commercialize a homegrown, globally competitive memory technology and anchor semiconductor innovation firmly in Europe’s industrial landscape. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Dresden, the heart of Silicon Saxony, FMC is working with leading foundries and partners worldwide to bring its products into high-volume production.

More information for Media

📄 Read the press release here (PDF EN, PDF DE) 

Media Contacts 
Torben Gosau for FMC – torben.gosau@kekstcnc.com
Stephanie Stein for DTCF – s.stein@dtcf.de

About The Ferroelectric Memory Company (FMC)
FMC is a leading semiconductor and memory chip company based in Dresden, founded in 2016 to develop a revolutionary memory chip technology. Based on the thin-film material hafnium oxide, the company has created a new class of memory cells with its DRAM+ chip – more sustainable, faster, and cost-efficient. Thanks to its extremely low power consumption, the technology significantly reduces the energy demand of AI data centers, laying the foundation for their scale-up in Europe and worldwide. FMC is now a fabless company, meaning it designs, develops, and markets its own products while outsourcing production to contract manufacturers (chip foundries). FMC is backed by investors including HV Capital, the DeepTech & Climate Fund (DTCF), Vsquared Ventures, eCAPITAL, Bosch Ventures, Air Liquide Venture Capital, M Ventures (Merck), Verve Ventures, Korean memory chip company SK hynix, semiconductor equipment manufacturer TEL, and other international investors. The company is led by CEO Thomas Rückes. More information

About DeepTech & Climate Fonds
The DeepTech & Climate Fonds (DTCF) invests up to €50 million in high-growth deep-tech and climate-tech companies in Germany and Europe. As an anchor investor and partner of long-term-oriented European investors, DTCF supports companies with extended development cycles and substantial financial needs in implementing sustainable growth strategies and actively contributes to expanding the technology ecosystem. The fund acts as a bridge between investors, SMEs, and innovative high-tech startups in the fields of climate, computing, industry, and life sciences. Funded by resources from the German Future Fund and the ERP Special Fund, DTCF plans to invest €1 billion over the coming years to strengthen the European technology ecosystem. More information