Spin-offs & Start-ups
At CogniGron, we believe that groundbreaking research deserves a life beyond the lab. Start-ups and spin-off companies allow our scientific discoveries to take shape in the real world—whether as new technologies, innovative materials, or entirely fresh ways of thinking about computing. By supporting entrepreneurial initiatives we accelerate the journey from idea to impact, empower researchers to turn their expertise into tangible solutions, and help build a vibrant ecosystem around neuromorphic computing in the Northern Netherlands and beyond.
Our start-ups are born from curiosity, collaboration, and a shared drive to push the boundaries of what future-proof computing can be.
IMChip
IMChip is CogniGron’s first start-up which stands for In-Memory Chip. IMChip aims to revolutionize neuromorphic hardware by making in-memory chips, in which memory and processing take place in the same location. Unlike traditional processors that consume vast amounts of energy to process and store data separately, IMChip’s neuromorphic chips combine these functions in one place, just like neurons and synapses do. This brain-inspired design enables far more efficient computing, dramatically reducing energy use. The result: chips that are up to 200 times more energy-efficient than conventional processors.
XIMPLIC
XIMPLIC is a CogniGron startup that develops design tools which make Computing-in-Memory (CIM) technology accessible and adaptable. The global shift toward in-memory computing is redefining the future of hardware design. Yet, researchers and engineers face fragmented workflows — from incompatible tools and device models to complex verification pipelines that slow innovation.
Current EDA frameworks — the software used to design microchips — were built for CMOS technology, the traditional way chips are made where memory and processing are separated. Because of this, these tools struggle to support new “compute-in-memory” approaches, where data can be stored and processed in the same place. Technologies like RRAM, SRAM, and MRAM — advanced types of memory that can also perform simple calculations — don’t fit well into the old CMOS design model, making them harder to develop with existing tools.
This lack of flexibility hampers exploration and delays the transition to energy-efficient, memory-centric architectures critical for AI and edge computing. Ximplic aims to bridge this gap with a device-agnostic EDA ecosystem tailored for CIM design. Their platform unifies modeling, simulation, logic synthesis, and hardware prototyping under one intelligent environment — enabling designers to seamlessly move from concept to chip, regardless of the underlying memory technology.