The BritChips Podcast

Context

“I would like to think that at some point ... the UK has reached its goal of being one of the leading semiconductor nations.”

This is the vision of Andy McLean, CEO of the newly established UK Semiconductor Centre.

Earlier this year McLean was recruited to lead the UKSC, an idea that had been mooted in various government reports over the years to provide a focal point for the UK semiconductor industry.

Backed by £19...

Show notes (AI generated, ‘natch!)

In this episode: Anthony Miller introduces the BritChips Podcast and frames IP Group as a later-stage investor than Parkwalk Advisors, with both firms sitting under the same parent structure.

Lee Thornton explains that Parkwalk uses EIS retail capital for very early-stage university spinouts, while IP Group also deploys balance sheet capital and third-party scale-up funds for later rounds.

The ...

Each year, the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UK ESF) offers hundreds of scholarships to students about to embark on an undergraduate degree in electronics and related disciplines at UK universities.

The scholarship, which includes a bursary of £4,000 a year, offers students the opportunity for industry placements, a potential stepping stone towards a career in the UK semiconductor industry.

Last week I attended the UK ESF Award...

In this episode Anne shares what makes a spin-out ready for funding, why product market fit matters so much, and why founders need more than great technology. They also discuss the importance of networks, executive support, and knowing when a company is ready for a different kind of leadership as it grows.

Key topics

* Anne Dobrée’s path from PhD researcher to tech transfer and university commercialization roles at Imperial and...

There are many milestones in a startup’s journey that give cause for celebration.

It could be the successful demonstration of a proof of concept model.

Or signing up your first client.

Or perhaps cementing a significant partnership.

But I would say that among the top reasons for popping the champagne corks is when you close a funding round.

And this was indeed the joyous event recently celebrated by Edinburgh-based startup Singu...

A couple of months ago I introduced you to Tom Atkins, cofounder and CEO of Bristol-based chip design tool startup, Vulkos.

When Tom isn’t busy running Vulkos, you can find him on the catwalk at international fashion shows, which it has to be said is an interesting side-hustle for a tech entrepreneur!

This all came out in a podcast I recorded with Tom back in June and I published a 4-minute excerpt as part of the BritChips Talk...

How Tom Atkins came to juggle a career on the catwalk with leadership of a startup is one of the stranger stories I have heard from a tech entrepreneur and merits a future full-fat podcast.

But for now I’ll let Tom do all the talking in this second ‘Talking Heads’ episode of The BritChips Podcast.

Could Vulkos be a solution to the shortage of chip design skills in the UK?

Watch the clip and see what you think. It&rsq...

Now, who wants a car that you can only drive in daylight hours? Or to put in another way, would you not want a car that drives as safely at night as it does during the day?

Glasgow-based imaging technology startup Metahelios has developed next-generation pixel technology based on metasurfaces which can replace the traditional red/blue/green filter arrays that image sensors use to ‘see’ in colour.

RGB filter array-based s...

“What’s the dream?” I asked Yang Li, cofounder and COO of AI code generator startup Cosine.

“We want to be ten-times bigger than Deep Mind,” came the response.

Of course you do, I thought to myself - and you might too.

But can I encourage you to watch/listen to the full 30-ish minute episode of The BritChips Podcast: Cosine - A New Angle on Sovereign AI before making up your mind.

You see, the market that ...

Welcome to the first episode of Talking Heads, a new BritChips series of short-form videos featuring people who are helping to support UK semiconductor startups.

My first ‘Talking Head’ is Mark Isaacs, who leads HarwellXPS, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s national facility for photoelectron spectroscopy, based at the government’s Harwell research campus.

This world-class facility is en...

I first spoke to Chipletti cofounders Kauser Johar and Catriona Wright in The BritChips Podcast ‘Chipletti’s Big Stack’ in June last year. Chipletti, you may recall, was one of the startups selected to participate in the third cohort of the government-sponsored ChipStart incubator, managed by Silicon Catalyst UK.

At that time they were hard at work developing high-speed cache memory chiplets (the clue is in the com...

In this latest episode of The BritChips Podcast, Rayd Technologies cofounder and CEO Kilian Stenning explains how he, co-CTOs Riccardo Sapienza (Professor of Physics at Imperial) and Kirsten Moselund (Head of Laboratory at PSI Paul Scherrer Institut) and CSO Jack Gartside (Associate Professor of Physics at Imperial) are leading pioneering work on photonic semiconductor technology and novel algorithms with the potential to shape the...

In this episode, Yasir Noori shares his entrepreneurial journey from quantum computing research to founding Deep Fabrication, a startup developing AI tools to predict defects in semiconductor manufacturing. Discover how AI can transform chip fabrication processes, reduce costs, and accelerate innovation in the industry.

Key Topics

* The evolution from quantum computing to semiconductor fabrication, and why semiconductors remain a pas...

In this episode, industry veteran James Lewis, now CEO and co-founder of RED Semiconductor, shares his extensive journey through the semiconductor industry, highlighting his current work on microprocessors optimized for AI at the edge.

Discover how his team is pushing the boundaries with innovative architectures tailored for complex data processing, cryptography, and AI inference to detect minute quantities of cancerous blood cells...

Unlocking the Future of Computing: The Rise of Photonics with Dr. Nick New

Explore the journey of Optalysys from fundamental optical technologies to cutting-edge photonic computing solutions transforming encryption, AI, and data processing. Discover how UK-based innovation is positioning itself on the global stage amid massive funding and technological advances.

In this episode:

* Dr. Nick New’s background in optical pattern rec...

In this in-depth interview, Mark Lippett, CEO of XMOS, shares his journey from engineer to industry leader, exploring the evolution of embedded systems, AI integration, and the future of semiconductor innovation. Discover how XMOS is shaping the next generation of low-latency, multifunctional chips and the strategic vision to become the go-to platform for embedded system design.

Key topics

* XMOS’s evolution from startup to in...

In this insightful (and many would say provocative and controversial) interview, Rodolfo Rosini, cofounder and CEO of Vaire, discusses the challenges and opportunities in European semiconductor startups, the concept of reversible computing as the basis of Vaire’s technology, and the strategic importance of scale and market dynamics in hardware innovation.

You may well need a stiff drink after listening to Rodolfo’s views...

In this episode of The BritChips Podcast, Peter Claydon, Founder and CEO of Bristol-based semiconductor startup RANsemi, shares insights into the wireless communications industry, the evolution of radio access network chips, and the strategic moves behind RANsemi's market positioning and future growth plans.

Key topics

* Radio access networks and their role in 5G

* RANsemi’s market positioning and competition

* Innovation in wire...

In this episode of The BritChips Podcast, Alexander Montgomerie-Corcoran discusses Heronic Technologies’ innovative approach to automating the design of bespoke AI hardware, the journey of entrepreneurship, and the importance of collaboration and research. Alex shares insights into their target market in broadcast and pro AV, their AI-based video upscaling technology, and the challenges of funding and revenue generation. The ...