SCI Semiconductor raises £5m for memory-safe chips
What's the deal? SCI SemiconductorDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a UK startup building memory safety into computer chips, has raised £5 million in an early-stage round led by PXN VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Mercia VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Osney CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Black Opal VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and private investors also took part in what the company called a "heavily oversubscribed" round, following a £2.5 million raise a year earlier.
What's the endgame? SCI embeds security into chip architecture rather than software, dividing memory into trusted compartments and tightly controlling access. Its ICENI range — aimed at critical infrastructure, defence, and medical systems — is the first chip family based on CHERI, a government-backed framework for memory-safe technology.
Why now? Memory safety is the key factor in around 70% of cyber attacks, and coding flaws can crash entire systems, as in the 2024 CrowdStrike outages. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre has warned that software patching alone may not be enough and is urging firms to adopt memory-safe technology.
SCI has been named a core supplier in the UK government's Accelerated CHERI Adoption Programme. Its chips also help users meet reporting requirements under the European Cyber Resilience Act, which comes into force in September.
By the numbers: Founded in 2022 by Haydn Povey, Krishna Anne, and Dr David Chisnall, SCI employs 35 staff across Sheffield and Cambridge and plans 15 more hires in the next year. First devices have been fabricated, with orders worth over £2 million secured alongside £7.7 million in government contracts, plus partnerships with Google ResearchDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Microsoft.
Chips are designed and packaged in the UK, with fabrication carried out in Germany. The new funding will accelerate production and support a next generation of chips.
The signal: Hardware-level security is drawing fresh investor interest as AI tools surface flaws faster than software patches can close them. With code increasingly AI-generated, the question of whether it is fit for purpose is pushing memory safety from an academic concern toward a procurement requirement.
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Image credit: Generated with Gemini
