SEOUL, April 23 (AJP) - Point2 Technology , a semiconductor interconnect startup founded by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, has secured 76 million dollars in Series B expansion funding to commercialize its high-speed data transmission technology, the institute said Thursday. The investment round marks the first time a South Korea-based startup and a South Korean semiconductor company has received strategic funding from NVentures, the venture capital arm of Nvidia.
The funding round, which concluded on April 21, 2026, included participation from Maverick Silicon and UMC Capital alongside Nvidia. Point2 specializes in interconnect technology, which facilitates the rapid movement of data between chips in large-scale computing environments.
Current AI data centers rely on thousands of semiconductor chips that require high-speed connections. Traditional copper cables are limited by transmission distance, while optical fiber alternatives are often expensive and consume high levels of power.
To address these issues, the startup developed e-Tube, a platform that uses a plastic waveguide to transmit data via radio frequency signals. The technology offers a transmission distance 10 times longer than copper wires while reducing power consumption and costs to one-third of the levels required by optical cables.
The e-Tube system is also five times lighter and two times smaller than copper equivalents. Additionally, it significantly reduces data transmission latency, which is essential for the performance of next-generation AI infrastructure.
BloombergNEF (BNEF) recently named Point2 a 2026 Pioneer, recognizing its potential as a green technology for data centers. The company is currently expanding its product line to include solutions that can be integrated directly near semiconductor packages to help hyperscale data center operators manage bandwidth density.
AI competitiveness is determined by interconnectivity. Based on this investment, we will cooperate with global partners to accelerate the commercialization of next-generation AI infrastructure, Sean Park said.
Professor Bae Hyeon-min, who serves as the head of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Institute of Startup (KIS), noted that the investment reflects the quality of technology originating from South Korean research. KIS intends to establish a global growth acceleration system to help campus-based startups enter international markets through technical verification and investment networking.
This case is a representative achievement where original technology developed at KAIST led to investment from a global big tech company. We will continue to strengthen support so that startups with excellent technology can quickly enter the global market, Professor Bae Hyeon-min said.
KAIST reported that its affiliated startups have attracted 3.5 trillion won in investment over the past five years. The university currently has 1,972 active companies with a total employment of 61,252 people and a total asset value of 105 trillion won.
Since 2021, 24 companies from the institution have listed on public markets. This includes three startups in the artificial intelligence and biotechnology sectors that completed initial public offerings in 2025.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.