---
title: Hummink’s Fountain Pen Technology Tackles The €16 Billion Problem Display Makers Can See But Can’t Fix
description: Hummink’s sub-micron ‘fountain pen’ repairs OLED and semiconductor defects in real time, lifting yields and cutting waste as AI demand rises with EU backing.
author: Darie Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2025-11-17T11:58:12.000Z
updated: 2026-02-26T18:01:39.520Z
canonical: https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/hummink-s-fountain-pen-technology-tackles-the-16-billion-problem-display-makers-can-see-but-c
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/Hummink-High-Precision-Capillary-Printing.webp
categories: Startups
content_type: Spotlight
region: China
publication: Sovereign Magazine
about:
  - type: Organization
    name: Hummink
    description: "Founded in 2020, Hummink was founded by materials scientist Amin M’Barki and hardware startup operator Pascal Boncenne. Its technology works like the world’s smallest fountain pen, writing at the nanoscopic level with a controlled flow of material. The process allows manufacturers to build and correct circuitry directly at the sub-micron scale, opening new frontiers for semiconductor packaging, next-generation memory, and advanced displays. For more information please visit https://hummink.com/"
    url: https://hummink.com/
    sameAs:
      - https://twitter.com/Hummink_, https://www.linkedin.com/company/hummink/?originalSubdomain=fr
---

Display manufacturers discard up to 30 per cent of OLED production each year due to microscopic defects. That amounts to €16 billion in annual losses and enough wasted material to cover 6,000 football fields. What makes this waste particularly frustrating is that manufacturers can see every single defect with perfect clarity.

![Founders 1 838x1024](https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/Founders-1-838x1024.jpg)

![NewNAZCA min](https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/NewNAZCA-min.png)

![Team 1024x729](https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/Team-1024x729.jpg)

Take BOE, one of the world’s largest display makers. In 2024, the Chinese manufacturer [delivered only seven to eight million OLED panels](https://www.oled-info.com/reports-suggest-quality-issues-boe-may-shift-iphone-oled-orders-samsung-display) to Apple out of a 40 million unit order. The culprit? Microscopic flaws including dead pixels and colour reproduction defects that inspection systems caught immediately. Apple redirected orders to Samsung Display and LG Display instead, highlighting the supply chain challenges that have driven the company to pursue [massive manufacturing automation investments](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/apple-s-600-billion-manufacturing-investment-sparks-industrial-automation-boom-in-u-s-semicon) in recent years.

Samsung, LG and BOE have invested heavily in AI-powered inspection systems and advanced detection tools that can spot defects down to the sub-micron scale. They know exactly where the problems are. They just couldn’t do anything about them. Paris-based [Hummink](#about-hummink) has developed what it calls the world’s smallest fountain pen – a High-Precision Capillary Printing technology that can repair these microscopic defects in real time.

## Why Detection Isn’t Enough

The display and semiconductor industries have become extraordinarily good at finding problems. [AI-driven defect detection systems](https://www.automationworld.com/analytics/article/55321499/how-ai-is-reshaping-manufacturing-operations) from companies like KLA and Applied Materials can identify particle contamination, substrate irregularities and organic layer flaws with microscopic precision. Machine vision systems scan every panel, flagging defects that measure less than a micron across. These tools prevent and identify defects but can’t fix them once they occur.

The problem only gets worse as displays get larger and more complex. [Next-generation OLED technologies](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/next-generation-display-technologies-set-to-revolutionise-gaming-and-automotive-sectors) and foldable displays use flexible substrates that span larger areas, giving defects more opportunities to emerge. A single particle of organic semiconductor dust on the substrate can create what researchers call a [killer defect](https://pubs.aip.org/aip/jap/article/125/5/055501/346868/The-nature-of-catastrophic-OLED-lighting-panel) – a bright spot or short circuit between electrodes that ruins the entire panel. Pinholes in the organic emitting layer, indium-tin-oxide agglomerations and substrate roughness that penetrates through multiple organic layers all show up clearly on inspection systems. Manufacturers can see them, measure them and document them. Then they throw the panel away.

## The Fountain Pen Solution

Hummink’s approach works like the world’s smallest fountain pen, writing at the nanoscopic level with a controlled flow of material. The High-Precision Capillary Printing technology enables printing and repair at sub-five micron precision, identifying microscopic flaws and correcting them in real time by printing metals and functional materials.

The company was founded in 2020 as a spin-off from École Normale Supérieure – PSL and CNRS by materials scientist Amin M’Barki and hardware startup operator Pascal Boncenne. Traditional lithography remains the workhorse of electronics production, but even the best processes generate flaws that lead to yield losses. Hummink’s printing tools act as surgical instruments at the micronic level, complementing lithography by identifying and correcting those flaws.

‘Our mission is to bring precision where it has never been possible before,’ said M’Barki. ‘Microelectronics is at the heart of the AI revolution, and every micron matters.’ This precision manufacturing approach mirrors innovations in other sectors, where companies are developing [advanced automation solutions for high-precision applications](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/dutch-3d-print-start-up-bets-on-automation-as-dental-labour-shortage-bites).

Early tests with major Asian display manufacturers suggest yield improvements of around 10 per cent. Pascal Boncenne, co-founder and chief operating officer, said: ‘With HPCaP, we give manufacturers a practical way to improve yields, cut waste and make advanced technologies more sustainable.’

## From Lab to Fab

Hummink’s first commercial product is NAZCA, a demonstrator system designed for research and development laboratories. The machines are installed in labs across Europe, Asia and the United States, including Duke University, where researchers used the technology to produce the first fully recyclable, sub-micrometer printed electronics published in Nature Electronics.

Revenue today comes from sales of NAZCA machines and tailor-made conductive inks. The company is now under qualification with major display manufacturers in Asia. The technology is being tested for integration directly into manufacturing lines, where it would operate as part of the production process rather than as a standalone repair station.

Hummink has a team across the United States, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea – markets where OLED manufacturing is concentrated. The company expects to double its workforce by 2026 and double its revenue by year-end, driven by demand for its printing modules and proprietary conductive inks.

## The €15 million round

Hummink has raised €15 million in a funding round co-led by KBC Focus Fund, Cap Horn and Bpifrance. The round was backed by the European Innovation Council Fund and includes historical investors Elaia Partners, Sensinnovat and Beeyond. The French Tech Seed fund, managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance as part of France 2030, also participated.

Nuno Carvalho, investment director at KBC Focus Fund, said: ‘Hummink stands out as an exceptional deeptech company that bridges academic excellence with industrial relevance. Their High-Precision Capillary Printing technology is not only a breakthrough in nanofabrication – it’s a game-changer for defect repair in OLED and semiconductor manufacturing, where sub-five micron precision is critical and unmet. We’re proud to support Hummink’s journey from lab to fab, and believe their scalable business model and strong team position them to become a key enabler of next-generation electronics manufacturing.’

The funding will accelerate development of Hummink’s industrial printing module for full integration inside semiconductor and display fabs. François Charbonnier, investment director at Bpifrance, said: ‘Yield improvement is becoming one of the most critical levers in advanced manufacturing. Hummink’s combination of precision, speed and scalability makes it a foundational technology for the next generation of microelectronics.’ This focus on scaling technology companies reflects broader European strategies for [supporting startups](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/from-science-to-sea-how-hatch-blue-picks-start-ups-that-might-actually-scale) that can achieve meaningful scale.

France has committed €5 billion to semiconductors under the France 2030 and Electronique 2030 programmes, which back companies like Hummink through the French Tech Seed fund. This investment strategy contrasts with other European approaches, as some critics argue that [Europe’s broader semiconductor investments](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/swiss-startup-chipmind-says-europe-s-43bn-chip-bet-missed-the-point) may have missed key priorities in the race for technological sovereignty. AI and high-performance computing are driving demand for more complex chips and displays, where sub-micron manufacturing means sub-micron problems. [Memory chip manufacturers](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/17/ai-fuels-memory-chip-shortage-that-could-hit-phones-and-cars.html) are prioritising production for AI servers over consumer electronics, creating supply constraints that make yield improvements even more valuable.

## Beyond OLED displays

Hummink’s technology applies to semiconductor packaging, next-generation memory and advanced displays beyond OLEDs. The environmental dimension matters too – reducing material waste in an industry that discards billions in production each year. As displays and chips continue to shrink, the gap between what manufacturers can detect and what they can fix widens without new repair technologies.

The company’s vision is to embed sub-micron printing directly within manufacturing lines worldwide, turning defect detection into defect correction at the point of production.

**About Hummink**

Founded in 2020, Hummink was founded by materials scientist Amin M’Barki and hardware startup operator Pascal Boncenne. Its technology works like the world’s smallest fountain pen, writing at the nanoscopic level with a controlled flow of material. The process allows manufacturers to build and correct circuitry directly at the sub-micron scale, opening new frontiers for semiconductor packaging, next-generation memory, and advanced displays. For more information please visit https://hummink.com/

[Website](https://hummink.com/)