HEXAGEM AB

Their core work

Hexagem is a Swedish deep-tech SME that develops gallium nitride (GaN) wafer technology for power electronics. They focus on enabling large-scale industrialization of GaN substrates, aiming to make high-performance wide band gap semiconductors accessible for mainstream power conversion applications. Their work bridges the gap between lab-scale GaN crystal growth and commercially viable wafer production, addressing a key bottleneck in next-generation power semiconductor manufacturing.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Hexagem entered H2020 in 2019 with a clear and focused agenda: commercializing GaN wafer technology, progressing from an SME Phase 1 feasibility study to a Phase 2 scale-up within the same year. By 2021, they shifted from leading their own commercialization projects to contributing as a specialist partner in YESvGaN, a collaborative research effort on vertical GaN-on-Silicon — suggesting they had matured enough to be sought out by larger consortia for their substrate expertise.

Hexagem is moving from standalone GaN wafer production toward integration with silicon platforms, positioning them at the intersection of established semiconductor manufacturing and next-generation power materials.

How they like to work

Hexagem primarily leads its own projects — two of three H2020 grants were coordinated by them, both under the SME Instrument, which reflects a startup-driven approach where the company defines and executes its own roadmap. Their participation in YESvGaN (27 consortium partners, 7 countries) shows they can also operate within large collaborative frameworks when their specialized GaN expertise is needed. This dual mode — independent commercialization plus consortium-ready specialist — makes them a flexible partner.

Through their three projects, Hexagem has worked with 27 unique partners across 7 countries, with the bulk of their network coming from the YESvGaN consortium. Their geographic connections likely span Northern and Western Europe given Sweden's typical collaboration patterns in semiconductor research.

What sets them apart

Hexagem occupies a rare niche: they are one of very few European SMEs focused specifically on GaN substrate manufacturing for power electronics. While many groups research GaN devices, Hexagem targets the upstream wafer supply problem — without quality substrates at scale, downstream device makers cannot industrialize. This makes them a critical enabling partner for any European consortium working on GaN power semiconductors.

Highlights from their portfolio

• eleGaNt
  Secured both SME Instrument Phase 1 and Phase 2 funding (combined EUR 2.1M), demonstrating strong commercial viability assessment by EU evaluators for their GaN wafer technology.
• YESvGaN
  Large-scale RIA project (2021-2024) tackling vertical GaN on silicon — Hexagem's participation as a specialist partner validates their reputation in the European power semiconductor community.