UK government invests £1.1 million to boost semiconductor startups

The UK government is investing £1.1 million into ten promising startups through the ChipStart program, aiming to fuel growth and create jobs.

Paul Hill Neowin @ziks_99 · Mar 28, 2025 10:26 EDT · Hot! with 6 comments

Westminster Bridge with Big Ben in the background

The UK government believes the country’s semiconductor sector holds a lot of promise, and to this end, has decided to back a third cohort of startups in the ChipStart programme with £1.1 million. ChipStart is a government-backed incubator programme which has a mission of helping startups to scale up, create jobs, and boost growth.

The third cohort consists of 10 companies including Chipletti, Ethicronics, Kahu, Kelvin Quantum, Unnamed from the University of Glasgow, Prospectral, Quantopticon, RxWatt, SiDesign, and Smith Optical.

Through ChipStart, the startups will gain access to technical and financial support. The government backs it in the hope that it helps semiconductor players to grow and that high-paying jobs are created as a result. Companies that were added to the programme in earlier cohorts have already attracted £40 million in private investment showing that it’s effective and can help other businesses.

One of the businesses that was part of the first cohort was Wave Photonics. The government described it as a successful company that is developing design technology to speed up the development and mass production of integrated photonics. A successful business from the second cohort was KuasaSemi which is creating a new design for semiconductors used in electric vehicles and other renewable energy technologies.

In the latest cohort, one of the businesses is RX-Watt which is working on new battery-free sensors that can be powered wirelessly using safe microwave signals. Its technology could be used in various ways such as ensuring vaccines are stored at the right temperature throughout the supply chain.

By strengthening its semiconductor sector, the UK will be in a better position to withstand global supply shocks, in an increasingly uncertain world. The government said that the startups will also benefit from the country’s number one position in Europe for venture capital investment, its low corporate tax rate, and a highly skilled workforce.