Nanoveu’s Triple Play: Chips, Capital, and a U.S. Shopfront

Nanoveu (ASX: NVU) is having something of a ‘moment’, with a trio of announcements in early August signalling an inflection point for the Perth-based purveyor of edge-AI silicon, glasses-free 3D and antimicrobial films.

The week began with news that the company’s long-touted 16nm ECS-DoT chip project is steaming ahead, with fabrication now targeted for Q4 2025 via Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s FinFET process. This isn’t just another me-too processor: it’s aimed squarely at ultra-low-power, AI-on-the-edge applications – think drones, wearables, industrial IoT and defence hardware that can think for itself without gulping power.

The project is being driven by a 24-strong engineering team assembled with the help of the Center for Nanoelectronics and Devices. The talent mix is intentionally layered – PhDs for blue-sky smarts, veterans for the nuts-and-bolts, and juniors to keep the cost curve sensible. On the analogue side, engineers are developing wireless, A/D-D/A converters and power modules for low-energy communications, while the digital team is pushing memory-centric AI architectures and full SoC integration. Packaging is moving to a Ball Grid Array format, which might not thrill the retail investor, but matters deeply when you’re cramming intelligence into a wristband or quadcopter.

If the current 22nm ECS-DoT is any guide, Nanoveu has commercial traction in sight. OEMs in drones and wearables are already evaluating the platform, and early feedback suggests design-wins could precede the 16nm debut.

Hot on the heels of this technical update came the announcement that NVU has begun trading on the U.S. OTCQB under ticker NNVUF. For a microcap trying to gain visibility in the world’s largest tech investment market, this is a low-cost, regulatory-light way to open the shopfront to U.S. investors without the agony of a NASDAQ listing (for now). Managing director Alfred Chong was characteristically upbeat, calling it a “pivotal inflection point” for engaging with U.S. partners and investors.

The timing makes sense. The U.S. capital market is awash with money chasing AI stories, and Nanoveu’s combination of edge AI silicon, glasses-free 3D via EyeFly3D, and the antimicrobial Nanoshield product suite is a cocktail likely to catch a few investor algorithms. The OTC listing allows trading in U.S. dollars during local hours, expands potential liquidity, and gives NVU a platform for possible future uplisting.

Completing the trifecta, NVU confirmed it had wrapped up its strategic $3.02 million capital raising, with the final $400,000 tranche coming from chairman Dr David Pevcic. This final stage had been subject to shareholder approval, granted at the 29 July general meeting. While $3 million doesn’t move needles in the semiconductor world, for a lean ASX tech play it’s a vital shot of fuel – especially given the capital intensity of chip design and packaging.

The sequence of announcements reveals a company moving in lockstep on three fronts: technical execution (chip development), capital markets reach (OTCQB dual listing), and financial underpinning (capital raise). The challenge, as ever for sub-$50 million market cap tech stocks, will be converting engineering milestones and market access into commercial contracts and recurring revenue before the cash runway shortens.

Still, if NVU can parlay its 22nm ECS-DoT wins into volume orders and hit the Q4 2025 fabrication target for the 16nm variant, it will be playing in a field where valuations tend to be dictated by strategic potential rather than trailing earnings. In that context, its recent moves look less like incremental housekeeping and more like deliberate positioning for a larger stage – both in terms of technology and investor audience.

Or, to put it another way, Nanoveu has moved from quietly tinkering in the workshop to wheeling its prototype into the middle of the expo floor – lights on, banners up, and now, thanks to the OTC listing, with a big sign pointing across the Pacific saying “Now open for U.S. business.”