Eleven semiconductor startups working on chips that make AI more efficient and healthcare better have joined a UK government-backed incubator to help turn their research into reality.

Semiconductor chips are integral to the technology that we interact with on a daily basis, underpinning everything from smartphones, to AI, to advanced medical devices.

The eleven firms will be the second group to go through the programme, called ChipStart. The incubator was launched in October 2023 with £1.3 million in backing to help nurture and grow participating companies.

POM Health is among the startups joining the incubator’s second round. It’s leading the use of semiconductors to create a wearable patch for continuous hormone monitoring, offering real-time insights into hormonal health.

Meanwhile, HeronIC, another new joiner, has developed a software design tool that quickly creates custom chips for AI applications, boosting their energy efficiency and increasing performance for complex tasks.

The full list of firms that have joined the second cohort is as follows:

1. Apitronix Semiconductor
2. Chevin Technology
3. HeronIC
4. KuasaSemi
5. Metahelios
6. Nanomation
7. PhovIR Technologies
8. POM Health
9. Qontrol
10. Rigpa
11. Visionchip

The second round follows the first group of participants closing over £10 million in funding from private investors and grants, and with a total of nearly £20 million in commitments currently being finalised.

The incubator will continue to provide the early-stage semiconductor companies with:

• access to commercial design capability: Including the full Silicon Catalyst ecosystem, design tools, IP, and prototyping capability;
• commercial expertise and mentorship: Startups receive guidance from experienced semiconductor industry executives and connections to Silicon Catalyst’s global network, and;
• exposure to private capital: Access to over 270 Silicon Catalyst advisors, Strategic Partners, and an extensive network of investment groups.

On completion, the initial two-year pilot of ChipStart will have provided a pipeline of new UK startups that have an innovative product, a route to market, and routes to future seed funding.

Speaking on ChipStart, minister for science, Patrick Vallance, said: “Innovation in semiconductors can underpin technological advancements in every field, from AI to consumer devices and healthtech.

“British researchers across the country are leading in R&D in this essential field and the support we are delivering through ChipStart is helping their ideas become reality.

“As well as the commercial success of the first cohort, the innovations ChipStart is supporting could help to change lives, from helping to develop new fertility treatments to optimising AI and extending the battery life of devices we use every day.

“We are making sure British science leadership converts to help address critical global challenges and drive economic growth.”

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Sean Redmond, managing partner at Silicon Catalyst UK, the startup accelerator delivering the programme, further added: “ChipStart UK is leveraging the UK’s position as a global centre of semiconductor research to transform academic innovations into market-ready technologies.

“Nine of the eleven firms in the next group come from UK universities and are set to build on the success of the first cohort, which secured a strong position in the international semiconductor supply chain through private funding and global partnerships.

“After nine months of rigorous training, ChipStart has created over thirty new UK semiconductor executives, ready to scale their businesses towards global success.”