The startup, which is backed by the IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation and incubated at the IIT-Madras Incubation Cell, announced that the chip successfully underwent an MPW tape-out—a term used in the silicon industry for prototyping—at the 28nm node. They also stated that reference boards would soon be available for original equipment manufacturers to test in the upcoming weeks.
Supported by Peak XV Partners, the semiconductor company Mindgrove Technologies announced on Sunday the launch of what they describe as India’s first commercial high-performance System on Chip (SoC), named Secure IoT. This chip, tailored for IoT devices, is expected to be priced approximately 30% lower than similar offerings in the market.
The venture, which enjoys the support of the IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation and operates under the incubation of the IIT-Madras Incubation Cell, has successfully completed an MPW tape-out (a term used in the silicon industry for prototyping) at the 28nm node. The company has also mentioned that reference boards will soon be made available for original equipment manufacturers to evaluate in the upcoming weeks. Based in Chennai, the startup highlighted that the new chip will enable local firms to incorporate an Indian SoC into their products, thereby helping to decrease their costs while still maintaining premium features.
Secure IoT operates as a high-performance microcontroller with a frequency of 700 MHz and is currently the only commercially available Indian chip in this category. It offers advanced programmability, flexibility, security, and enhanced computing capabilities necessary for managing applications across a diverse array of smart connected devices. According to the company, this chip is capable of managing devices ranging from wearables like smartwatches to more complex systems such as smart city infrastructure and home devices, in addition to electric vehicle battery management systems and control systems, among others.
Moreover, Mindgrove is not just selling the chip but also providing design support to Indian brands to foster innovation and enhance production scales within the country.
Shashwath TR, the CEO and co-founder of Mindgrove Technologies, stated that there is a massive global demand for microchips. With India using more than a billion chips every year, he noted that between 10 and 50 million of these could potentially be replaced by Secure IoT. He expects this new innovation from India to attract considerable attention from international markets.
The pandemic exposed significant disparities between the higher-end and lower-end market segments in embedded systems, with the latter often prioritizing cost and volume over actual performance. This observation spurred the creation of chips aimed at bridging this gap by targeting the middle market, according to Shashwath. Secure IoT is designed to support a vast array of applications, from simple bare metal code to sophisticated microcontroller real-time operating systems, and can be used in systems like traffic control, autonomous vehicles, and medical equipment.
Mindgrove Technologies, co-founded by Shashwath and Sharan Srinivas J, also has the backing of other notable investors such as Speciale Invest and Whiteboard Capital.
