Malaysia's nanoSkunkWorkX raises US$2 million for AI chip packaging materials

Malaysian deep tech startup nanoSkunkWorkX (nSWX) has raised US$2 million in seed funding led by Singapore-based Tin Men Capital, TNGlobal reported on 2 September. The money will go towards qualification with semiconductor partners, scaling its process platform and further validation work.

Key points

• Its lead semiconductor product, nSD-I, targets copper interconnects in advanced AI chip packaging and, according to the company, helps copper carry more current and spread heat.
• Tin Men said this is its first investment in a Malaysian startup; earlier backers include Gobi Dana Impak and Kumpulan Modal Perdana.
• The founders are Dr Amani Salim, a former NASA principal investigator, and Iqbal Shamsul, an MIT-trained computer scientist.
• nSWX was selected for the first SemiconStart Malaysia cohort, led by MTDC with Silicon Catalyst UK.

Why it matters for Malaysia

The startup is trying to place Malaysian intellectual property in a part of the AI hardware chain where heat is a limit. Its next hurdle, as the report notes, is moving from promising materials results to qualification with chip partners.

Questions answered

How much did nanoSkunkWorkX raise and from whom?

nanoSkunkWorkX raised US$2 million in seed funding led by Singapore-based Tin Men Capital, building on earlier backing from Gobi Dana Impak and Kumpulan Modal Perdana, according to TNGlobal.

What does nanoSkunkWorkX make?

It develops thin-film interfaces meant to improve how heat, current and signals move across materials. Its lead product, nSD-I, targets copper interconnects in advanced AI chip packaging.