15 Sep 2026
Dutch AI chip startup Euclyd secured $231 million in a funding round co-led by Samsung, with former ASML CEO Peter Wennink joining as chairman.
Asml
ASML continues to be a pivotal player in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, notably through its involvement in the European Union's NanoIC pilot line. This initiative underscores ASML's foundational role in advancing sub-2 nanometer chip technology within Europe and supporting the continent's strategic technological growth and ecosystem development.
While ASML leads in extreme ultraviolet lithography, it faces increasing competitive pressure. The US Department of Commerce is investing in startups like xLight to develop competing EUV capabilities, indicating a strategic push for domestic alternatives. This highlights a growing geopolitical dimension to lithography supremacy.
ASML's strategic position is characterized by both collaboration in scaling next-generation nodes and confronting direct, government-backed challenges to its technological monopoly. The emergence of former ASML CEO Peter Wennink as chairman of Dutch AI chip startup Euclyd also signals evolving leadership dynamics within the broader semiconductor ecosystem.
The company's influence is thus shaped by its active support for continental innovation and the intensifying international competition for lithography leadership. ASML's technology is now a focal point for global efforts aiming for technological parity, reflecting its critical importance in the future of chipmaking.
Last updated September 20, 2026
Coverage
10 Feb 2026
The European Union has initiated the NanoIC pilot line, jointly funded by the EU, national governments, and ASML, to oversee the development of sub-2 nanometer chips within the continent.
3 Dec 2025
The US Department of Commerce intends to provide up to $150 million in funding to xLight, a startup led by former Intel chief Pat Gelsinger, to develop extreme ultraviolet lithography technology to compete with ASML.