Paragraf Secures £41M UAE Investment in Graphene Tech

Prime Highlights:

Paragraf secures £41 million ($55 million) investment from UAE’s sovereign wealth fund, Mubadala, to expand production of graphene-based chips.
The funding positions Paragraf to accelerate the adoption of faster, more energy-efficient graphene technologies in commercial and industrial markets.

Key Facts:

Mubadala acquired a 12.8% stake in Paragraf as part of the Series C investment round.
Graphene chips are faster and more energy-efficient than silicon-based chips and are suitable for extreme environments, including quantum computing applications.

Key Background:

Paragraf, a Cambridgeshire-based company that makes graphene-based semiconductors, has received a £41 million ($55 million) investment from Mubadala, the sovereign wealth fund of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This Series C funding will help the company increase production and bring graphene electronics to more markets.

Dr. Simon Thomas, co-founder and CEO of Paragraf, said the investment shows strong trust in the company. He added that the funds will help increase production of quicker and more energy-efficient technologies to support significant business opportunities. Thomas added that the company is happy to have support from both new and long-standing partners who believe in their goal of advancing electronics using graphene.

Mubadala’s investment acquired a 12.8% stake in Paragraf, marking a significant milestone for the company as it moves toward commercial expansion. The investment equally occurs amidst increased global economic setbacks, indicating the rising interest in graphene-based technologies worldwide.

The UK government took a close interest in the funding process as domestic chip manufacturing was of great strategic interest. Thomas revealed that the National Security review process delayed the deal, leaving the company within two weeks of exhausting its cash reserves. The approval process took approximately six months to complete. Nonetheless, Paragraf managed to attract the investment, creating a solid basis to grow faster in the global market of semiconductors.

Paragraf will leverage this investment to multiply its manufacturing and commercialize its graphene-based chips to be used commercially and industrially. Analysts feel that this move would enable the UK to play a major role in the next generation of semiconductor technology.

The investment also shows that international investors are increasingly interested in new chip technologies and highlights graphene’s potential to transform the future of electronics.