Hummink is bringing Micronic Precision Printing to Advanced Manufacturing

Hummink, developer of High Precision Printing for Advanced Electronics and a spin-off of the prestigious physics lab of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) and PSL University, led by Amin M'BARKI, Pascal Boncenne, Pr. Lydéric Bocquet, Alessandro Siria, Antoine Niguès, and Christophe Bureau, has secured €15 million to expand the deployment of their patented High-Precision Capillary Printing (HPCaP) technology, co-led by KBC Focus Fund, Cap Horn, and Bpifrance, with follow-on support from Elaia Partners, Sensinnovat, and Beeyond, and additional participation from the French Tech Seed fund managed by Bpifrance as part of France 2030 and the European Innovation Council Fund.

As microelectronics push the limits of AI and high-performance computing, even sub-micron defects can ruin entire chips or display batches. Paris-based Hummink, founded in 2020 as a spin-off from École Normale Supérieure, PSL, and CNRS by Amin M’Barki and Pascal Boncenne, addresses this problem with a nanoscale “fountain pen” technology that deposits material with extreme precision. The approach allows manufacturers to build and adjust circuitry at the sub-micron level, supporting applications in semiconductor packaging, next-gen memory, and advanced displays.

Traditional lithography still produces micro-defects that reduce yields and create waste. Hummink’s micronic-scale printing tools complement this process by detecting and correcting those defects to boost output and cut scrap.

The initial focus is next-gen OLED displays, where up to 30% of production is reportedly discarded due to tiny flaws. Hummink’s technology aims to recover much of this lost output and reduce costly material waste.

Hummink generates revenue through its NAZCA demonstrator, a high-precision R&D printing system, along with custom conductive inks. NAZCA systems are already deployed in labs across Europe, Asia, and the U.S., including Duke University, where the technology enabled fully recyclable sub-micrometre printed electronics featured in Nature Electronics.

The new funding will advance development of Hummink’s industrial printing module and ready the technology for integration into semiconductor and display manufacturing lines.