The Next Frontier in Power Electronics: How Berlin’s NextGO Epi is Revolutionizing Gallium Oxide Technology

By Patrick Schröder | August 3, 2026

The global energy transition is no longer a distant vision; it is an industrial imperative. As nations race to decarbonize their grids and transition to electric mobility, the demand for sophisticated, efficient, and resilient power electronics has reached an all-time high. At the heart of this transition lies a critical challenge: current semiconductor materials, such as silicon and silicon carbide (SiC), are approaching their theoretical physical limits in terms of voltage handling and thermal efficiency.

Enter NextGO Epi, a Berlin-based deep-tech startup that is quietly positioning itself at the vanguard of a material science revolution. By focusing on the development of Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) epitaxy wafers, the company aims to provide the foundational building blocks for the next generation of high-performance power electronics.

The Material Shift: Why Gallium Oxide?

For decades, silicon has been the undisputed workhorse of the electronics industry. However, as power requirements grow—particularly in renewable energy infrastructure, high-speed charging stations, and industrial power conversion—silicon’s physical properties have become a bottleneck. Silicon carbide and gallium nitride (GaN) have emerged as the current "wide-bandgap" alternatives, offering superior performance. Yet, the industry is already looking toward the next horizon: ultra-wide-bandgap materials.

Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) stands out as a material with extraordinary potential. It possesses a significantly larger bandgap than both SiC and GaN, which translates to a higher breakdown field strength. In practical terms, this allows engineers to design power devices that are not only smaller and lighter but also capable of handling much higher voltages with lower energy losses.

For NextGO Epi, the challenge is not just the material itself, but the "epitaxy"—the process of growing high-quality, defect-free crystalline layers on a substrate. This is where the Berlin-based startup is carving out its niche, aiming to make Ga2O3 commercially viable for mass-market power applications.

Chronology of an Innovation: From Lab to Pilot Line

The journey of NextGO Epi reflects the typical trajectory of European deep-tech success stories, characterized by strong ties to academic research and a focus on industrial scalability.

• 2024 (The Inception): Founded in the heart of Berlin’s thriving research ecosystem, NextGO Epi was established to address the manufacturing hurdles associated with Gallium Oxide. The founders, leveraging years of experience in crystal growth and thin-film deposition, identified that the market lacked high-quality, scalable epitaxial wafers.
• 2025 (Validation Phase): The company spent the year securing intellectual property and developing its proprietary epitaxial growth chambers. During this time, the startup successfully demonstrated the ability to produce uniform thin-film layers that met the stringent requirements of power semiconductor manufacturers.
• 2026 (Industrial Scaling): As of August 2026, the company has transitioned from the research and development phase to the pilot production stage. This transition is marked by the acquisition of specialized equipment and the establishment of partnerships with key players in the semiconductor supply chain.

Supporting Data: The Efficiency Imperative

The economic and environmental argument for Gallium Oxide is rooted in the physics of power conversion. In any electrical system, energy is lost as heat during the conversion process (e.g., converting AC grid power to DC for an EV battery).

Current power semiconductor devices lose a percentage of energy during each switching cycle. Because Gallium Oxide allows for thinner, more efficient designs, the "on-resistance" of these devices can be drastically reduced. Data from ongoing test cycles at NextGO Epi’s facility suggests that power modules utilizing their epitaxial wafers could achieve:

1. 30% Higher Power Density: Enabling smaller, more compact inverter designs for electric vehicles.
2. Reduction in Cooling Requirements: Due to the material’s superior thermal efficiency, the need for bulky, heavy heat sinks—which currently add weight and cost to electric vehicles—is significantly mitigated.
3. Higher Voltage Tolerance: Capable of operating in environments exceeding 1,200V to 3,000V, which is essential for next-generation smart grids and high-voltage DC (HVDC) transmission lines.

Official Perspectives and Industry Implications

While NextGO Epi remains in the early stages of commercial rollout, industry analysts are closely monitoring their progress. The shift toward Gallium Oxide is viewed as a strategic necessity for Europe’s "Chip Sovereignty."

"The semiconductor industry is currently defined by the transition from silicon to compound materials," says an industry expert familiar with the sector. "If NextGO Epi can solve the yield and cost issues associated with Ga2O3 wafers, they won’t just be a supplier; they will be a bottleneck-breaker for the entire European EV and renewable energy value chain."

The company’s leadership has emphasized that their goal is not to replace silicon entirely, but to provide a complementary solution for high-voltage applications where traditional materials fail. By focusing on epitaxy, they are addressing the most difficult part of the value chain: ensuring that the thin layers of material grown on the wafer are perfect enough to be turned into functional, reliable power chips.

Implications for the Energy Transition

The implications of NextGO Epi’s technology are broad. In the context of the European Green Deal, the efficiency of power electronics is often overlooked but remains a major factor in the total energy cost of a system.

• Renewable Integration: Wind and solar farms require high-voltage inverters to feed power into the grid. More efficient semiconductors mean less energy is wasted during transmission, effectively increasing the "yield" of every wind turbine and solar panel installed.
• Electric Mobility: For the automotive sector, the race is on to reduce the weight of onboard chargers and traction inverters. Gallium Oxide offers a path to "lighter power," which directly translates to increased range for electric vehicles.
• Data Centers: As AI and cloud computing demand unprecedented amounts of electricity, the power supplies for these server farms are becoming significant energy consumers. Implementing Ga2O3-based power conversion could lead to massive reductions in data center electricity bills and carbon footprints.

Challenges Ahead: The Road to Commercialization

Despite the promise, NextGO Epi faces the same challenges that have historically plagued compound semiconductor startups: high capital expenditure (CapEx) and the need for standardized manufacturing processes.

The semiconductor market is notoriously conservative regarding new materials. To succeed, NextGO Epi must prove that its wafers can be integrated into existing fabrication (fab) lines without requiring a total overhaul of the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the company must demonstrate long-term reliability—power electronics are expected to last for decades in harsh environments, from the extreme heat of an EV engine bay to the rugged conditions of a desert-based solar farm.

Conclusion

As NextGO Epi continues to scale its operations in Berlin, the company serves as a reminder of the vital role that material science plays in the broader climate tech landscape. While software and systems engineering often grab the headlines, the future of the energy transition will be written in the crystalline structures of materials like Gallium Oxide.

By focusing on the critical interface of epitaxy, NextGO Epi is not just developing a product; they are laying the groundwork for a more efficient, high-voltage-capable electrical infrastructure. For investors, engineers, and policymakers alike, the progress of this Berlin startup is a bellwether for how the next decade of industrial energy efficiency will be achieved.

Disclaimer: The information provided is based on industry reports and current technological trends as of August 2026. For those interested in the semiconductor sector, VDI Nachrichten continues to monitor developments in European deep-tech and material science.