Toyota Tsusho invests in US chip-polishing materials startup
豊田通商、米国の半導体研磨材新興企業に出資ビジネス
- Country:
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Voice:
- 🇺🇸 Alex
英語本文
Toyota Tsusho, a Japanese trading and investment company, announced on October 21, 2026, that it had invested in ChEmpower, a US semiconductor-materials startup. The investment uses a simple agreement for future equity, or SAFE, granting rights to acquire shares later under specified conditions. Neither the investment amount nor the ownership percentage was disclosed.
ChEmpower develops chemicals and polishing pads for chemical mechanical polishing, a production step that smooths semiconductor surfaces. Conventional processes use chemicals and abrasive particles; its approach uses no abrasive particles. Toyota Tsusho says this can prevent silicon-wafer scratches and improve production yields. It also says removing the particles makes water and rare metals easier to recover from waste liquids.
Toyota Tsusho already handles chemicals used in semiconductor production. The investment is part of its plans to connect materials supply with resource recovery. It plans to supply ChEmpower’s products to semiconductor manufacturers in Japan and promote a business collecting waste liquids from chip manufacturing and recycling rare metals.