SAN FRANCISCO — Airbus Ventures invested 2.5 million Singapore dollars ($1.85 million) in Zero-Error Systems (ZES), a Singapore startup developing radiation-hardened integrated circuits.
With the funding, ZES will “scale its operations, and work with international customers to deploy its products into space, as well as explore new applications, including self-driving vehicles with high levels of autonomy,” according to the Oct. 21 news release.
ZES, a spinoff of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, was founded in 2019 to develop reliable, radiation-hardened integrated circuits for space, aerospace and automotive applications. Japan’s Kyushu Institute of Technology has installed ZES integrated circuits in three tiny satellites scheduled for launch in 2021.
“Pairing ZES proprietary technology with advanced consumer-grade electronics will enable highly intelligent and cost-effective technology that is built to resist radiation,” Shu Wei, ZES co-founder and chief technology officer, said in a statement. “As we embark on this journey, ZES is privileged to have Airbus Ventures invest in us. This partnership will enable and expedite the proliferation of our products and technologies into the Airbus Ventures ecosystem and beyond.”
Through the new investment, Airbus Ventures expands its space-related portfolio, which includes Isar Aerospace and Morpheus Space of Germany and U.S. companies Astra, Atlas AI, LeoLabs and SpinLaunch. Airbus Ventures also has invested in satellite communications companies including Astrocast of Switzerland, U.S.-based CesiumAstro, Japan’s Infostellar and Transcelestial of Singapore.
“We at Airbus Ventures are proud to team with ZES on the cusp of a new era for space electronics and autonomous vehicles,” Mathieu Costes, Airbus Ventures partner, said in a statement. “Our ZES investment, Airbus Ventures’ second in Singapore, signifies a deepening convergence of entrepreneurial research and venture pioneers in the region, drawing together new networks as we actively expand our presence in the Asia Pacific.”
In August, Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Co., Development Bank of Japan and Fuyo General Lease Co., announced plans to invest in Airbus Ventures Fund III Limited Partner, the aerospace giant’s latest venture capital fund.