A startup co-founded by Dr. AJ Cooper has raised $12 million to develop the world's first fluid circuit board — a hardware platform that can rewire itself faster than a cup of coffee loses heat. The company aims to bring adaptive, reconfigurable electronics to market, addressing a longstanding limitation of static printed circuit boards.
The $12 million round is reported to be the first major funding for the venture. The company had previously raised $10.2 million for an earlier smartwatch venture called Olio Devices, also founded by Dr. Cooper in 2013. Specific lead investors and valuation details have not been disclosed.
The fluid circuit board technology represents a shift from rigid, fixed-path electronics to dynamic interconnects that can reshape on demand. This could unlock new applications in robotics, aerospace, and defence, where hardware must adapt to changing signal paths without manual reconfiguration. The company has not disclosed current traction or customers.
If successful, the technology could challenge the dominance of traditional PCB manufacturing and open the door to truly programmable hardware. However, the path from lab prototype to production at scale remains steep, and the startup will need to demonstrate reliability and cost competitiveness against entrenched incumbents.
Dr. Cooper brings prior experience from Olio Devices, which built a smartwatch and raised $10.2 million before ceasing operations. The fluid circuit board venture appears to be his latest effort to disrupt conventional electronics architecture.