Nanopower and the EIC Accelerator: A Chip That Lets Devices Sleep

Nanopower Semiconductor, founded in Kristiansand, Norway, in 2017, designs nPZero, a chip built with subthreshold circuit design that manages a device's sensors and peripherals on its own so the main processor can stay powered down, cutting the energy that battery-powered sensors, wearables and trackers waste while idle. It was selected in the EIC Accelerator's June 2023 cut-off with blended finance and received an EU grant of €2.49 million for a €3.55 million project from January 2024 to December 2025 to bring its power-saving IC to readiness level 8, "with a product ready for commercial scale-up", according to CORDIS.

The final report says Nanopower designed, produced and verified the chip, produced full wafers of the first generation, delivered development kits and engineering samples to customers, and at the end of the project was "in the final phases of Release to Manufacturing", with qualification, test programme and characterisation completed, according to the CORDIS reporting page. In September 2025 it raised €9.4 million, €8 million in new equity and €1.4 million of converted debt, with the EIC Fund, Big Sur Ventures and Skagerak Capital as new investors, according to NKP M&A Insights.

Where Nanopower Stands Now

In 2026 Nanopower announced a second chip, the nPZ2100, which manages up to six peripherals at 200 nA idle current, signed global distribution with Rutronik for both products, according to Nanopower, added European distribution with Anglia Components, opened an Asia-Pacific office in Hong Kong, won ISO 9001 certification and joined the Amazon Devices Climate Tech Accelerator. Its 2025 accounts show revenue of NOK 118,845, a net loss of NOK 23.6 million and equity of NOK 82.3 million, according to the Brønnøysund Register Centre. It has not announced a design win in a mass-market product.

The Technology: Keep the Brain Asleep

In many battery-powered devices, a microcontroller wakes up constantly just to read a sensor and go back to sleep, draining the battery. nPZero takes over those routine tasks at nanoamp currents and wakes the processor only when something happens. Nanopower says this can cut sensor-system energy use by up to 90% in some applications. The report cites an estimate that 78 million batteries are discarded every day from such devices.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The award aimed to bring the chip to TRL8, ready for commercial scale-up. Nanopower reports it did: wafers produced, samples and kits with customers, qualification complete and release to manufacturing close. The commercial test comes next, and 2025 revenue shows it has barely begun.

1. Verified chip designDeliveredFull wafers produced.
2. Samples and dev kitsDeliveredWith customers.
3. Release to manufacturingFinal phaseAt project end.
4. Commercial salesMinimalNOK 118,845 in 2025.

The Money

The EU covered 70% of the project. The EIC Fund's entry in the September 2025 round confirms the equity side of the blended award was used; the pre-money valuation was NOK 285 million, according to Finansavisen as cited by NKP.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Billions of connected devices run on batteries, and Europe's new battery rules push for longer life and easier replacement, Nanopower notes. A European chip that lets devices sleep more could cut waste at scale. Nanopower has the product and distribution; it now needs design wins.

The Verdict

Nanopower and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.