By Toby Sterling
AMSTERDAM – Nearfield Instruments is preparing for a potential stock market listing in the upcoming three years, driven by the increasing adoption of its measurement tools, as stated by its CEO in an interview with Reuters. This move could potentially add another publicly-listed computer chip equipment manufacturer to the Netherlands.
“We are strategizing for an initial public offering (IPO) in either 2027 or at the latest, 2028,” said Hamed Sadeghian. He added, “The timing will be influenced by the market conditions,” noting the cyclical nature of the chip industry, currently experiencing a surge fueled by artificial intelligence (AI).
Headquartered in Rotterdam, Nearfield, which boasts Samsung from South Korea as one of its clients, recently declared receiving “multiple orders” from a customer in the U.S. and is contemplating establishing offices there. Sadeghian refrained from revealing the identity of the U.S. customer.
The Netherlands houses multiple semiconductor equipment producers, including industry giants such as lithography leader ASML, advanced packaging company Besi, and atomic deposition expert ASM International.
Established in 2016, Nearfield secured $148 million in funding in July from investors like Walden Catalyst and Singapore’s state fund Temasek for its expansion plans. The company’s measurement technology utilizes atomic force microscopy to measure silicon wafers, enabling operations at dimensions smaller than most wavelengths of light.
Although Nearfield tools primarily serve advanced logic chips, Sadeghian noted a rise in interest from memory chip manufacturers and producers of older chip generations utilized in automotive and power grid applications, where innovation persists. Emerging chip designs entail increased chip stacking, underscoring the significance of alignment – a critical aspect where metrology tools, like those manufactured by Nearfield, play a crucial role.
(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Jan Harvey)
