Astrus, a Toronto- and Kitchener-Waterloo-based AI software startup, has raised $8 million USD ($11 million CAD) in seed funding.
Investors
The round was led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from 1517 Fund, Drive Capital, Alumni Ventures, RiSC Capital, MVP Ventures, and new investor Pradeep Sindhu (co-founder of Juniper Networks).
Khosla Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2004, which focuses on investing in high-risk, high-impact ventures with the potential to create significant change. Based in Menlo Park, California, Khosla Ventures invests across all stages, from pre-seed and seed-stage startups to later-stage growth companies.
Astrus Use of Funds
The company will use the funds to grow its team, advance R&D, and prepare for paid pilots with Tier-1 semiconductor companies in 2026.
About Astrus
Founded in 2023 by Brad Moon and Zeyi Wang, Astrus is an AI company that develops software tools to automate the notoriously manual and time-consuming process of analog circuit layout in chip design. Applying reinforcement learning techniques to chip design, Astrus can generate thousands of circuit layouts based on schematics and performance requirements. Headquartered in Toronto and Kitchener–Waterloo, Canada, Astrus' ambition is to build something special and lasting in Canada, not simply to relocate or exit.
Funding Details
Company: Astrus
Raised: $8.0M USD ($11.0M CAD)
Round: Seed
Funding Date: August 2028
Lead Investor: Khosla Ventures
Additional Investors: 1517 Fund, Drive Capital, Alumni Ventures, RiSC Capital, MVP Ventures, Pradeep Sindhu
Company Website: https://www.astrus.ai/
Software Category: AI / Semiconductor Design Automation
Source: https://betakit.com/astrus-announces-11-million-cad-to-automate-semiconductor-design-with-ai/