Core Viewpoint - Substrate claims to have developed a method for manufacturing computer chips at significantly lower costs and higher quality than competitors, but evidence suggests the company may be fraudulent [2][21][24] Group 1: Company Background - The founder, James Proud, has a history of fraudulent activities, including a Kickstarter scam that raised $2.5 million for a product that did not meet its promises [13][16] - The co-founder, Oliver Proud, lacks any verifiable professional or academic experience in the semiconductor industry [13] - The company's job postings are reportedly meaningless and generated by artificial intelligence, indicating a lack of genuine recruitment efforts [17][20] Group 2: Manufacturing Process - Chip manufacturing is complex and requires extensive expertise, typically involving thousands of specialists [2] - The process involves a foundry producing chips on silicon wafers, which are then separated and packaged [2] - Substrate's claims about its manufacturing capabilities are met with skepticism due to the unrealistic timelines and lack of evidence [21][23] Group 3: Technology Claims - Substrate asserts that its technology can outperform ASML, a leading competitor that has invested billions over decades, raising doubts about the feasibility of such claims [7][21] - The company has not provided any substantial evidence to support its technological assertions, relying instead on vague statements about investor confidence [21][24] - The patterns in the images shared by Substrate suggest the use of direct writing techniques, which are not suitable for mass production [11][12] Group 4: Financial Aspects - Substrate has raised $100 million in funding, achieving a valuation of $1 billion, but the investor pool lacks significant ties to the semiconductor industry [24] - The company is perceived to be targeting inexperienced investors, which raises concerns about the credibility of its financial backing [24]