EnSilica, a UK-based mixed-signal ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) chip maker, has been awarded £10.38 million from the UK Space Agency under its Connectivity in Low-Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme. Following a competitive selection process, the three-year funding will support a development project pioneered by EnSilica.
Advances next-gen satellite user terminals
The startup’s proposal included a strong business case, backed by letters of interest from potential lead customers, to develop semiconductor chips for future high-performance, mass-market satellite broadband user terminals, such as SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper.
These terminals will be compatible with multiple satellite constellations and leverage advanced semiconductor technology, ensuring a secure and independent chip supply untied to specific satellite operators.
Strengthens UK’s space industry
The market for satellite user terminals is expanding rapidly, with projections reaching $16.5 billion by 2031. Each terminal requires hundreds of specialist chips for electronically steerable antennas. The UK Space Agency’s C-LEO programme, launched last year with up to £160 million in funding over four years, aims to keep the UK competitive in the evolving low-earth orbit sector by supporting innovations in satellites, AI-driven data delivery, and inter-satellite connectivity.
This initiative builds on EnSilica’s strong history of collaboration with the UK Space Agency, the European Space Agency, and key satellite communications partners, reinforcing its commitment to advancing satellite technology.
Paul Morris, EnSilica VP RF and Comms Business Unit, commented: “This is a great opportunity to accelerate our chipset development enabling us to extend our portfolio of chips for the satellite broadband market with a focus on providing a complete solution for user terminals while reducing cost and power. We are now engaged with the key European players and I’m sure this further backing from the UK Space Agency will help us garner global interest in the unique products we are developing.”
Ian Lankshear, EnSilica’s CEO, commented: “We are honoured and proud to have won this highly significant award from the UK Space Agency under the C-LEO programme, 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.”
