Taiwanese chipmaker buys into Egyptian startup

• InfiniLink attracting interest
• Taiwan’s MediaTek invests $10m
• Saudi VC also investing

A leading Taiwanese semiconductor design company has invested $10 million in an Egyptian company that specialises in energy-efficient chip technology, according to a statement.

InfiniLink, a New Cairo-based startup, has developed technology which uses light instead of electric signals to move data faster, helping AI data centres handle more information at higher speeds with less power. 

The company raised $10 million in seed funding in a round led by Taiwan-based MediaTek, one of the world’s largest designers of semiconductors.

Electricity is by far the largest ongoing expense for data centre operators, accounting for between 46 and 60 percent of costs, depending on specialisation, according to technology market analysts IDC.

IDC estimates that data centre energy consumption will grow by nearly 20 percent every year until 2028.

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InfiniLink’s funding round also saw investments from Saudi venture capital firm Sukna Ventures and local investors Egypt Ventures and M Empire Angels.

Semiconductors are essential to artificial intelligence technology and sales are rapidly rising as AI proliferates. 

Global semiconductor sales increased 18 percent year on year in 2024, according to data from the Semiconductor Industry Association.