Starting AI-Powered Chip Defect Detection company in Singapore, SixSense has received $8.5 million in Series A funding to modernize approaches toward chip and defect monitoring in semiconductor factories.
AI in Semiconductor Manufacturing Gets a Boost
SixSense’s real-time chip monitoring technology will significantly decrease semiconductor waste and defect containment, thus enhancing the overall quality of chips. This change in the industry will facilitate the adoption of AI in semiconductor manufacturing.
This Singapore-based company has received $8.5 million in Series A funding, which brings their total to around $12 million. The Peak XV Surge, (previously known as Sequoia India and SEA), as well as Alpha Intelligence Capital and FEBE Ventures are amongst the supporters of this funding round.
Meet the Founders: Akanksha Jagwani & Avni Agarwal
SixSense was founded in 2018 by two engineers with deep technical backgrounds:
Akanksha Jagwani – Expert in quality control and automation, Akanksha has previously worked with Hyundai Motors and GE. At GE, she also held the product lead position at Embibe.
Avni Agarwal – Avni worked as an engineer at Visa, where she created data analytics tools to large datasets, some of which were later patented as trade secrets.
The duo explored multiple industries before settling on semiconductors, where they identified an acute demand for modern approaches to a highly data-intensive yet fragmented quality control process.
“Despite precision being critical, inspection is still manual and scattered,” said Agarwal. “We saw a huge opportunity to modernize it using AI.”
What SixSense’s Platform Does
SixSense’s AI platform analyzes and transforms vast quantities of data generated on the fab floor, from images to equipment signals, into real-time actionable insights.
Key capabilities include:
- Defect detection
- Root cause analysis
- Failure prediction
What sets it apart? It is intended for process engineers rather than data scientists. Therefore:
- No coding required
- Models can be implemented in less than two days
- AI can be customized by engineers using their data
- Final outputs are reliable, AI or ML background is unnecessary
“Our system puts power directly in the hands of engineers,” Agarwal explained. “They can act swiftly without the need for data teams.”
Manufacturers Achieve Breakthrough Results
SixSense is already collaborating with industry leaders such as GlobalFoundries and JCET. The platform has processed more than 100 million chips, resulting in:
Up to 30% acceleration in production cycles
1–2% yield improvement
90% reduction in manual inspections
Its systems integrate with more than 60% of the global market for inspection equipment, providing broad compatibility and ease of integration.
Competing in a Crowded Landscape
This sector includes:
- In-house teams utilizing tools such as Cognex and Halcon
- Equipment makers adding AI capabilities to their products
- Landing.ai and Robovision: semiconductor startups
SixSense differentiates itself by providing a fully-integrated, seamless, and ready to use solution that is centered around engineers and does not require complex integration or data science teams.
Global Growth Accelerated by the Chip Boom
Having established a foothold in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Israel, SixSense is now entering the United States.
What changes? New geopolitics are reshaping the region’s semiconductor manufacturing landscape. New Fabs are now emerging in:
- Malaysia
- Vietnam
- India
- The United States
“A lot of these new companies are greenfield operations,” said Agarwal. “That makes them perfect candidates for our AI-native approach — no legacy systems to slow things down.”
SixSense’s position in Asia offers the company a great strategic advantage in addressing the semiconductor factories that are newly establishing their operations.
Importance of SixSense
The semiconductor industry is recognized as one of the most sophisticated and risky industries. As an illustration, a single error could lead to a multi million loss.
Most fabrication plants are not able to offer real-time defect detection. It is a challenge, and SixSense is addressing that by providing:
- Higher efficiency
- Improved yields
- Reduced costs
- Reduced dependence on repetitive manual labor
- Increased Automation
This is a win-win solution for chipmakers who are increasingly facing pressure to improve performance while manufacturing at scale.
Important Summary
- SixSense secured $8.5M in a Series A to enhance their AI systems for semiconductor grade.
- With the help of women engineers, the startup is able to pioneer AI in chip manufacturing.
- Their no-code platform assists engineers in real-time detection, analysis, and prevention of defects and failures.
- Clients include leading semiconductor manufacturers such as GlobalFoundries and JCET.
- Data indicates faster production with improved yields and substantial reductions in manual inspections.
- Services are being further developed in the U.S., Asia, and elsewhere, in line with global trends on chip manufacturing reshoring.
Final Thoughts
As the semiconductor industry works to rapidly scale production, integrating AI technologies will ensure the preservation of quality and operational efficiency. SixSense spearheads this movement by simplifying the usability, scalability, and practicality of AI technologies for those who require it most—the engineers on the fab floors.
This woman-owned startup dismantles obfuscating complex manufacturing intelligence and provides the clarity and speed needed to transform one of the world’s most essential supply chains.