Lancaster University spinout company Quinas Technology has been selected to join the UK's first ever semiconductor design incubator ChipStart UK.
ChipStart UK is a two-year pilot programme backed by the UK Government providing start-ups with the technical and commercial help they need to help bring new products to market.
Quinas is one of 12 companies chosen who will share in £1.3M of funding under the National Semiconductor Strategy, which aims to provide support to start-ups as they grow into future global chip leaders.
Quinas was created to commercialise ULTRARAM™, an ultra-efficient memory invented by Professor Manus Hayne of Lancaster University, which combines the non-volatility of a data storage memory, like flash, with the speed, energy-efficiency and endurance of a working memory, like DRAM.
Professor Hayne, who is also Chief Scientific Officer at Quinas said: "We are delighted to be accepted on to the first cohort of ChipStart UK, which is at the forefront of activity under the National Semiconductor Strategy. It will give the company access to resources and expertise that complements our own and will be crucial for our commercial future."
The £1.3 million programme will be delivered by SiliconCatalyst.UK, the world's most experienced start-up accelerator, which has engaged with hundreds of chip companies on scaling up and growing. It will give companies access to bespoke chip design tools, commercial expertise, specialised mentorship, and networking opportunities with prospective investors and partners.
UK Minister for Technology Paul Scully said: "Semiconductors are the bedrock of our modern economy and an increasingly integral part of our lives. These firms are building on Britain's research leadership to open doors to innovation and growth, while designing chips that could truly change the way we live our lives. This incubator will make sure they have the skills they need to revolutionise the lives of people not only in the UK, but across the world."
Silicon Catalyst.UK CEO Sean Redmond said: "This is one of the most exciting times to start and grow a globally successful semiconductor company from the UK. The first group of 12 UK semiconductor startups to enter ChipStart UK incubator have been selected from 27 applications following two rounds of intensive panel interviews made up of semiconductor startup experts from the UK and Silicon Valley. Over the next nine months we will shape and mould these outstanding new innovative companies into the next generation of semiconductor leaders."
The UK's established, world-leading capability in semiconductor design is at the heart of the programme, with five of the firms initially founded as 'spinouts' from the UK's leading universities, and two more originating from research carried out at Oxford and Cambridge universities.
The launch of the pilot delivers on a key commitment made in the National Semiconductor Strategy, detailing how the government will drive forward the UK's strengths and skills in design, R&D and compound semiconductors, while helping to grow domestic chip firms across the UK.
On completion, the pilot will provide the UK's semiconductor industry with a pipeline of new startups that have an innovative product, route to market and are a foundation for their forward growth, including routes to future seed funding.
The programme will run two consecutive cohorts and end in March 2025.
