For years, European leaders have lamented their "technological vassalage" to the United States, particularly as the artificial intelligence boom has concentrated power in a handful of Silicon Valley boardrooms. That rhetoric is now crystallizing into a concrete industrial challenge. Euclyd, a new startup founded by veterans of the Dutch semiconductor giant ASML, is seeking €100 million in funding to develop chips that could theoretically rival Nvidia’s dominance.
The pedigree of the venture is its primary credential. Founded by former ASML director Bernardo Kastrup and backed by its former CEO Peter Wennink, Euclyd enters the market with a deep understanding of the lithography systems that make modern computing possible. The startup’s goal is not merely to compete on price, but on fundamental efficiency; it claims its architecture could be up to 100 times more efficient than current industry standards.
This push for hardware independence mirrors the software ambitions of Mistral, the French AI firm that has become a symbol of European strategic autonomy. By attempting to build both the models and the silicon they run on, Europe is signaling a shift away from its role as a mere regulator of technology. Instead, it is attempting to reclaim a seat at the table of primary innovation, where the physical infrastructure of the future is forged.
With reporting from Xataka.
Source · Xataka
