EnSilica, a chip maker of mixed signal ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), has been awarded £10.38 million (€12.4m) funding over the next three years from the UK Space Agency for a development project under its Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme.
EnSilica put forward in its application a business case supported by letters of interest from potential lead customers to develop a family of semiconductor chips to support future generations of highly integrated, mass market satellite broadband user terminals. The terminals will be capable of connecting with various satellite constellations and will leverage advanced semiconductor technology. In addition, the Project will provide a secure source of chips which is independent and not tied to specific satellite service operators. Example target constellations include OneWeb and IRIS2, the planned European Union multi-orbit constellation.
The cornerstone funding from the UK Space Agency followed a competitive application process and will fund up to half the cost of the overall Project. Payments will be made against milestones achieved over the three-year Project duration. The funding will enable EnSilica to secure partners and customers to deliver and commercially exploit the Project.
The UK Space Agency’s C-LEO program was launched last year and is designed to ensure that the UK space sector remains competitive in the rapidly evolving global market for LEO constellations. With a total funding pool of up to £160 million available over the next four years, the C-LEO program supports the development of smarter satellites, enhanced hardware, AI-driven data delivery, and improved inter-satellite connections.
This new Project builds on EnSilica’s successful history of collaboration with the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency, alongside other key satellite communications partnerships and the Company’s own investment in the technology.
Ian Lankshear, CEO, commented: “We are honored and proud to have won this highly significant award from the UK Space Agency under the C-LEO program, as we believe satellite communications is an incredibly important sector for EnSilica and one that is fast expanding globally. This funding will enable us to advance our technology and bring innovative solutions to the satellite broadband market, with the project expected to be hugely beneficial to society, offering resilient internet connectivity in times of crisis, as well as providing high speed internet connectivity in remote communities not well served by terrestrial networks. We welcome the ongoing support from the UK Space Agency, which provides the framework for EnSilica to develop the technology required to address a market worth many hundreds of millions.”