Grand Slam for Denmark in Las Vegas
Danish startups dominated the Extreme Tech Challenge Semiconductors and AI Innovation Startup Cup in Las Vegas, winning all three prizes.
The finals took place on stage at CES 2025, where eight finalists pitched their innovations to a live audience.
Danish company ATLANT 3D Nanosystems won the Semiconductors & Ecosystem Award for its atomic-scale manufacturing platform, which enhances the production of microelectronics and optics. NASA was one of its first customers in 2021.
The pitching founder and CEO, Maksym Plakhotnyuk, was overjoyed after the winners were announced.
“Two startups from Denmark took all the prizes at CES in Las Vegas last week! And ATLANT 3D is one of them! That is crazy!” he wrote on social media.
Danish company Phanofi, specializing in energy-efficient, high-speed optical transceivers for data centers, claimed both the AI & Infrastructure Award and the Datacenter Efficiency Award. Its innovative photonics design reduces costs and energy consumption while improving connectivity.
The competition, launched in 2024 and sponsored by ARM and Hon Hai Technology Group, spotlights startups advancing sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies. Denmark’s sweep underscores its role as a leader in global innovation.
The Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) is one of the world’s largest startup competitions focused on empowering innovative technologies that address global challenges inspired by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. It is founded by venture capitalists Young Sohn from Walden Catalyst Ventures and Bill Tai from Charles River Ventures.