An Interview with Stefan Müller, Scientist Founder of Ferroelectric memory Company
Innovating the Future of Memory
Welcome to Scientist Founders Interview series, where scientists are telling their journeys to found groundbreaking tech startups
Want to discover invaluable advice for future scientist founders? Stefan Müller, founder of the Ferroelectric Memory Company (FMC), shared his thought:
"Even if a scientist founder can receive a lot of skepticism at the beginning of the journey, with strong data validation founders can scale from the lab to the market."
Key point:
Persistence in Research: Müller's initial research faced skepticism, but his unwavering commitment to proving the potential of hafnium oxide eventually garnered industry recognition.
Strategic Partnerships: Collaborations with industry giants like GlobalFoundries were crucial in transitioning his technology from lab to market.
Industry Impact: With over 40 team members, nearly 100 patents, and more than $20 million in funding, FMC is set to bring its technology into production, promising significant energy savings in computing and a reduced carbon footprint.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of electronics and computing, the demand for advanced, reliable, and scalable memory solutions has never been greater. At the forefront of this innovation is Stefan Müller, a visionary scientist and the founder of the Ferroelectric Memory Company (FMC). FMC's technologies, including the ferroelectric field-effect transistor (FeFET) and ferroelectric capacitor (FeCAP), are simple to integrate, ultra-fast, low-power, and highly scalable, making them a game-changer in the semiconductor industry.
Read Stefan’s interview about his transtition to a Scientist Founder
Can you share the history of your journey in the labs?
My journey began with a deep fascination for electronics. This passion led me to pursue a master's degree in Singapore, earning a double degree with the Technical University of Munich and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore. The curriculum focused on practical semiconductor manufacturing.
I pursued a Ph.D. because it was closely related to industry needs. The Ph.D. topic's real-world applications were crucial for me. Seeking active hubs for semiconductor research, I found an opportunity at the Technical University of Dresden to pursue a Ph.D. at the NaMLab Institute. The institute offered a compelling research topic on ferroelectricity in hafnium oxide, a recent innovation in the semiconductor industry.
Founder Spark: What were the key moments or insights during your research that ignited the entrepreneurial spark?
Hafnium oxide's applications in semiconductor manufacturing were widely recognized. However, the ferroelectric properties were just published when I started my Ph.D. and came as a complete surprise to the semiconductor industry. The first year of my research was a challenging battle to prove ferroelectric hafnium oxide's potential. I faced skepticism from industry and academia at conferences presenting my findings. Yet, new data validated our findings each year. By 2014, the industry had started to take notice and took more consideration in investigating the ferroelectric properties of hafnium oxides.
Each step in the lab brought us closer to practical applications, attracting interest from major industry players. It became clear that this was not just academic research but a material innovation that could impact the semiconductor industry.
The transition from academia to entrepreneurship was gradual but decisive. Seeing my research applied in real-world situations motivated me. Understanding that my work could significantly influence the semiconductor industry by improving memory technologies and manufacturing efficiency catalyzed my transformation into an entrepreneurial innovator and a Scientist Founder.
Following your entrepreneurial decision, what were your first steps in blending science with business?
In 2015, after several attempts, our team of 4 secured grant/proof of concept funding from the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), which was crucial for us to embark on the first step of commercialization. The "EXIST Forschungstransfer” funding program provided us with two years of support from 2015 to 2017 and was instrumental in our journey.
The initial days involved navigating administrative hurdles, understanding market needs, and aligning our scientific objectives with business strategies. I often juggled multiple roles, from chief executive to chief technology officer and HR executive, all in a single day. My tasks included:
Building a network with potential investors.
Connecting with larger semiconductor companies.
Translating complex scientific research into marketable solutions.
I had to start strategizing how to solve the most significant questions. How do you demonstrate the problem you are solving? How significant is the problem? What is the revenue potential? These challenges were new to me and required developing new skills, which I genuinely enjoyed.
This marked our transition from a research-focused environment to building a business. Assembling a founding team and recognizing the need to complement my skills with others was a profound shift.
We incorporated The Ferroelectric Memory Company in 2016 in Dresden, benefitting from the rich ecosystem of "Silicon Saxony." Our collaboration with GlobalFoundries, the university, and Fraunhofer Institutes was crucial for developing our technology at an industrial level and securing joint grants from the Saxonian and national governments. Working with an industry player like GlobalFoundries was essential for demonstrating that our technology could be implemented in a foundry environment. Building an investor network early on and connecting with larger semiconductor companies was vital for securing our first financing round in 2018.
FMC today:
I am incredibly proud of the team we have grown at FMC. We now have over 40 people, almost 100 patent filings and grants, and have secured over $20 million in funding. Our goal is to bring our technology into production within the next years. Recently, we received significant grant funding through the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI ME/CT) and the European Innovation Council Fund (EIC).
By 2020, we successfully entered the Series B funding round and recently closed the first part of our Series C round. Strategic investors from across the semiconductor value chain, including material suppliers, tool suppliers, and large corporations like Air Liquide, M Ventures, TEL Ventures, Imec Xpand , Robert Bosch Ventures and SK Hynix joined our efforts.
The industry's recognition confirmed my belief that innovations based on novel but fabrication friendly materials are crucial. Our technology is suited for embedded on-chip memory, nonvolatile data storage, and super-fast cache storage in the semiconductor industry. It is also promising for standalone memory, especially with the rise of AI applications. We aim to demonstrate that our technology can significantly reduce power consumption in the computing industry, lowering the overall carbon footprint.
Advice for future Scientist founders:
Even if you receive a lot of skepticism at the beginning of your journey, with strong data validation you can bring your idea to the market . Becoming a Scientist Founder is an unparalleled life experience that merges scientific exploration with entrepreneurial spirit, offering a dynamic and impactful career path. Unlike the rigid structures of academia or the corporate world, this journey provides:
· The freedom to innovate.
· The thrill of rapid progress.
· The profound satisfaction of seeing your research applied in real-world situations.
As a Scientist Founder, your work transcends theoretical knowledge, transforming into tangible products and technologies that significantly impact the industry and society. This journey is unique and deeply rewarding. It's about taking your discoveries and intuition, bringing them to life, and witnessing their direct influence on the world around you.