Mobius Materials, a Richmond, Virginia-based startup positioning itself as a safe spot market for semiconductors, has closed a $3 million Series Seed financing round as it looks to bring more liquidity, quality control, and price transparency to the secondary market for chips and electronic components.
The round was led by Spero Ventures, with participation from Outsiders Fund and RefashionD Ventures. Mobius said it will use the new capital to invest in its marketplace platform that connects buyers and sellers, expand its leadership team, and support growth into new customers and global markets as semiconductor purchasing and inventory management become more volatile amid shifting geopolitics and trade tariffs.
Mobius is targeting what it describes as a $25 billion problem tied to inefficiencies in the secondary chip market. While the semiconductor industry sells more than $600 billion in chips annually, the company argues manufacturers have limited options beyond direct purchasing, distributor channels, or an expansive gray market. As demand forecasts change and tariff-related disruptions hit, manufacturers can be left with shortages of critical parts or excess inventory that can be difficult to monetize. Mobius said its platform is already used by hundreds of contract manufacturers and OEMs to buy and sell excess electronic parts at market prices.
The company also framed its mission as both economic and environmental. Founder and CEO Margaret Upshur, a former supply chain executive at an electronics OEM, said she was driven by experiences that included discarding large quantities of unused new chips that could have been resold rather than wasted.
Product development is expected to be a central use of proceeds. Mobius said it is preparing to launch an e-auction platform designed to help manufacturers reach thousands of qualified buyers, improve returns compared with traditional broker rates, and shorten transaction timelines. The company also said it has filed a patent related to a machine-learning-based system intended to authenticate the quality of electronic components.
Mobius tied the timing of its expansion plans to ongoing volatility in the semiconductor supply chain, describing the industry as both strategically critical and unusually exposed to shocks. The company pointed to the role chips play across sectors from consumer electronics and automotive manufacturing to national defense and AI development, and argued that a more functional spot market could help reduce extreme supply-demand swings during shortages or gluts.
In the context of trade tariffs, Mobius said its marketplace can help connect buyers with sellers in ways that may reduce tariff impacts, such as enabling sales of inventory imported before new tariffs are imposed to buyers facing higher costs under new rules. The company said it expects continued tariff changes internationally and intends to respond quickly to shifting conditions.
Mobius Materials describes itself as a certified B2B marketplace that uses vetted suppliers, including OEMs and contract manufacturers, along with testing processes to support component authentication. The company said it can provide 10% to 70% savings on parts, access to rare inventory, and fully authenticated components shipped in under two weeks, while giving manufacturers a channel to recover value from unused stock and maintain inventory flexibility.
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“We’re building the first stock market for semiconductors so companies can finally buy and sell components the way they should: transparently, safely, and at true market prices,” says Upshur. “This raise and our partnership with Spero will help us scale our marketplace so supply-chain teams can achieve real liquidity in an industry that’s been stuck with rigid purchasing, constant supply shocks and quality risks.”
Margaret Upshur, Founder and CEO, Mobius Materials
“Chips power nearly every device we rely on, yet the secondary market remains opaque and inefficient. Mobius is building a trusted marketplace that delivers transparency, liquidity, and quality control,” said Shripriya Mahesh of Spero Ventures. “We’re proud to support Margaret and her team as they create a more resilient and sustainable future for global manufacturing.”
Shripriya Mahesh, Spero Ventures
