The BritChips Podcast

Anthony Miller
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The only podcast entirely dedicated to entrepreneurs, leaders, investors, partners, in fact everybody involved with UK semiconductor startups. Created and hosted by award-winning tech industry guru Anthony Miller. anttheantidote.substack.com

  1. 2d ago

    This is the future of the UK semiconductor industry!

    Each year, the UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UK ESF) offers hundreds of scholarships to students about to embark on an undergraduate degree in electronics and related disciplines at UK universities. The scholarship, which includes a bursary of £4,000 a year, offers students the opportunity for industry placements, a potential stepping stone towards a career in the UK semiconductor industry. Last week I attended the UK ESF Awards event celebrating the latest cohort, and spoke with previous scholars to find out ‘what the UK ESF did for me’, so to speak. And the answer is, ‘a lot’! I also had a quick chat with Katie Wheeler, Emerging Talent Acquisition Specialist at Arm, one of many semiconductor companies that sponsor placements for UK ESF award winners. Keep up the great work! Watch the clip and see if you agree with me that the future of the UK semiconductor industry looks very bright indeed. You’ll be able to hear much more about the critical role that UK ESF plays in nurturing young tech talent when I chat with CEO Stewart Edmonson in an upcoming episode of The BritChips Podcast. Meanwhile, here’s wishing UK ESF scholars (and new social media stars), Kata Lendvai, Sophia Abbott, Myles Beniek, Nichita Condorachi, Stanley Booth and Koshin Khodiyar good luck with their studies and all the very best for a fulfilling career in the UK semiconductor industry. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anttheantidote.substack.com

    This is the future of the UK semiconductor industry!

  2. 5d ago

    BritChips Podcast: Spin-out Funding - A Walk in the Park?

    In this episode Anne shares what makes a spin-out ready for funding, why product market fit matters so much, and why founders need more than great technology. They also discuss the importance of networks, executive support, and knowing when a company is ready for a different kind of leadership as it grows. Key topics * Anne Dobrée’s path from PhD researcher to tech transfer and university commercialization roles at Imperial and Cambridge * How Parkwalk Advisors invests in UK university spin-outs through EIS-backed funds * What the Enterprise Investment Scheme offers investors * Why Parkwalk typically enters at seed stage, with some pre-seed support through university-linked funds * How university researchers usually progress from idea to spin-out and investor conversations * The role of tech transfer offices, accelerators, demo days, and direct outreach * Why Parkwalk does not invest in research projects, only in companies ready to commercialize * What counts as readiness in semiconductors, including tape-out, prototype progress, and use case clarity * Why commercial experience and executive leadership matter as much as technical brilliance * How investors assess founders: conviction, listening ability, and team-building * Why the best founders know what they do not know and invite help early * The importance of product market fit, especially for academic startups with strong technology but unclear buyers * Why fundraising usually takes longer than founders expect and should be planned as an 18 month plus journey * Why exit thinking matters even early on, including acquisition as the more realistic path for many chip companies This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anttheantidote.substack.com

    BritChips Podcast: Spin-out Funding - A Walk in the Park?

  3. Sep 10

    BritChips Newsflash: Singular Photonics beams up more dosh

    There are many milestones in a startup’s journey that give cause for celebration. It could be the successful demonstration of a proof of concept model. Or signing up your first client. Or perhaps cementing a significant partnership. But I would say that among the top reasons for popping the champagne corks is when you close a funding round. And this was indeed the joyous event recently celebrated by Edinburgh-based startup Singular Photonics. Watch Singular Photonics co-founder and CEO Shahida Imani tell you more! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anttheantidote.substack.com

    BritChips Newsflash: Singular Photonics beams up more dosh

  4. Aug 18

    BritChips Talking Heads: Tom Atkins, Vulkos Director's Cut

    A couple of months ago I introduced you to Tom Atkins, cofounder and CEO of Bristol-based chip design tool startup, Vulkos. When Tom isn’t busy running Vulkos, you can find him on the catwalk at international fashion shows, which it has to be said is an interesting side-hustle for a tech entrepreneur! This all came out in a podcast I recorded with Tom back in June and I published a 4-minute excerpt as part of the BritChips Talking Heads series. You can find this on the same platform you are viewing this podcast on. I said at the time that my interview with Tom very much warranted a full-fat podcast. And here it is! So settle back for the next 20 minutes or so and listen to Tom’s story - I’m sure you’ll be impressed. And if you feel like you have expertise worth passing onto the next generation of engineers, Tom would love to chat. His email is tom@vulkos.co.uk This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anttheantidote.substack.com

  5. Jun 8

    BritChips Talking Heads: Tom Atkins, Vulkos

    How Tom Atkins came to juggle a career on the catwalk with leadership of a startup is one of the stranger stories I have heard from a tech entrepreneur and merits a future full-fat podcast. But for now I’ll let Tom do all the talking in this second ‘Talking Heads’ episode of The BritChips Podcast. Could Vulkos be a solution to the shortage of chip design skills in the UK? Watch the clip and see what you think. It’s under 4 minutes long so you have no excuse not to. Talking Heads is also available on the BritChips YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@BritChips) and in audio-only form on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anttheantidote.substack.com

    BritChips Talking Heads: Tom Atkins, Vulkos

  6. Jun 4

    BritChips podcast: Metahelios - The Metasurface Nerds!

    Now, who wants a car that you can only drive in daylight hours? Or to put in another way, would you not want a car that drives as safely at night as it does during the day? Glasgow-based imaging technology startup Metahelios has developed next-generation pixel technology based on metasurfaces which can replace the traditional red/blue/green filter arrays that image sensors use to ‘see’ in colour. RGB filter array-based sensors have been used for years in imaging devices ranging from cameras and smartphones, and more recently robots and autonomous vehicles. But they have two main drawbacks. Firstly, colour accuracy tends to be compromised when the sensors encounter poorly lit environments. Secondly, RGB filter arrays require complex manufacturing processes using environmentally unfriendly organic chemicals. Metahelios’ metasurface filters are manufactured in aluminium using tools and processes already well established with image sensor chip foundries. And they ‘see’ much better than pixels with RGB filter arrays in poor lighting. In this podcast, Metahelios cofounder and CEO Charles Altuzarra shares insights on navigating research, product development, and funding in the high-tech landscape, and explains how cutting-edge innovation, strategic pivots, and strong industry relationships are shaping the future of image sensors. PS: An apology! I kept mispronouncing Charles’ surname in the podcast but managed to correct the spelling in the captions in time. Sorry about that! Podcast outline * Origins of Metahelios and the significance of its name * Collaboration and friendship with co-founder Yash Shah * Development of metasurface technology as a replacement for traditional color filters * Initial applications in defence and space optics * Strategic pivot towards automotive and robotics industries * Challenges in fundraising and navigating the image sensor market * The importance of patents and IP protection * Engaging with accelerators like Silicon Catalyst and NATO Diana * Building industry relationships and licensing strategies * The role of UK innovation programs and future growth plans * Lessons learned and advice for scientific entrepreneurs Topics * Introduction to Charles Altuzarra and Metahelios’ vision * The story behind the brand name ‘Metahelios’ * Innovation in optical imaging: The nanostructure-based filter technology * Early applications in defense and aerospace sectors * Pivoting from defense to automotive and robotics markets * Navigating confidential large markets and customer insights * Advancements in imaging sensors for autonomous vehicles and low-light conditions * The licensing model and collaboration with image sensor manufacturers * The development timeline and manufacturing locations * Fundraising milestones and UK investor engagement * The importance of patents and protecting IP in high-tech markets * The role of accelerators (ChipStart, NATO Diana, Luminate) in growth * Building industry relationships and strategic collaborations * Lessons learned: What would Charles do differently? * Future leadership and expansion plans * Final thoughts on innovation and entrepreneurship in high-tech UK The BritChips Podcast is proudly sponsored by Silicon Catalyst UK, Official Partner of the government-funded ChipStartUK semiconductor incubator. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anttheantidote.substack.com

    BritChips podcast: Metahelios - The Metasurface Nerds!

  7. May 20

    BritChips Podcast: Cosine - A new angle on Sovereign AI

    “What’s the dream?” I asked Yang Li, cofounder and COO of AI code generator startup Cosine. “We want to be ten-times bigger than Deep Mind,” came the response. Of course you do, I thought to myself - and you might too. But can I encourage you to watch/listen to the full 30-ish minute episode of The BritChips Podcast: Cosine - A New Angle on Sovereign AI before making up your mind. You see, the market that Cosine is addressing is not all the new stuff. It’s all the old stuff, the legacy code that has been deeply embedded in commercial enterprises and public sector bodies for years if not decades. And often there’s nobody left in the organisation who really understands how it works, making maintenance and upgrades an arduous and highly risk-prone exercise. Yang believes they have the answer - an AI codegen specifically designed to maintain and enhance applications coded in arcane - even archaic - languages. And Cosine has a USP that Yang believes the ‘usual suspect’ AI codegens can’t beat. They see Cosine as the only end-to-end sovereign AI coding platform built, owned, and operated entirely in Britain. The UK government is clearly a believer. Cosine was one of the first startups to be accepted into the government’s £500m Sovereign AI initiative, awarding it access to Isamabard, the UK’s most powerful supercomputer. So, see what you think. Podcast summary Discover how UK-based startup Cosine is leveraging AI to transform legacy code management across defence, finance, and semiconductor industries. Cosine cofounder and COO Yang Li explains their innovative approach, funding journey, and ambitious future plans to make Britain a leader in sovereign AI. * Yang Li introduces Cosine and their mission to build the first end-to-end sovereign AI coding platform in Britain * The origins of Cosine and how a chance meeting at a wine bar sparked the project * Differentiating between greenfield and brownfield projects in AI coding applications * The technical approach behind Cosine’s language models trained specifically on legacy languages like COBOL and VHDL * How Cosine’s platform enhances maintenance and feature addition in critical sectors * The UK government’s £500 million sovereign AI initiative and its impact on Cosine’s growth * Current customer deployment status and future industry targets, including semiconductor manufacturing * Funding journey: bootstrapping, YC acceleration, US and UK investment, and strategic partnerships * The long-term vision: making UK AI as influential as DeepMind and aiming for global leadership * The role of Form1 Partners in supporting Cosine’s go-to-market strategy Topics * Yang Li’s background and Cosine’s origin story * Differentiating greenfield vs brownfield projects * Cosine’s approach to legacy system maintenance * Use cases in defense, finance, and critical infrastructure * Ensuring AI decisions are audit-trailed for regulation * Entering the semiconductor language market * Training models for low-level hardware languages * Collaborations with chip industry players * Funding origins: bootstrap, Y Combinator, and investments * UK government’s sovereign AI program * The capabilities enabled by government support * Current team size and growth plans * Key milestones: training a sovereign large language model * Future vision: positioning Cosine as a UK AI leader * How Cosine engaged with Form1 Partners The BritChips Podcast is proudly sponsored by Silicon Catalyst UK, Official Partner of the government-funded ChipStartUK semiconductor incubator. We gratefully acknowledge the support of Form1 Partners in the making of this podcast. Form1, for which Anthony Miller is an advisor, is the fast-growing commercialisation partner for B2B tech scale-ups and established corporates. See here for more information about Form1. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anttheantidote.substack.com

    BritChips Podcast: Cosine - A new angle on Sovereign AI

  8. May 18

    BritChips Talking Heads: Mark Isaacs, HarwellXPS

    Welcome to the first episode of Talking Heads, a new BritChips series of short-form videos featuring people who are helping to support UK semiconductor startups. My first ‘Talking Head’ is Mark Isaacs, who leads HarwellXPS, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s national facility for photoelectron spectroscopy, based at the government’s Harwell research campus. This world-class facility is engaged in surface analysis of advanced materials such as semiconductors in order to detect microscopic defects which could cause the device to underperform or fail completely. After listening to this clip you might want to swing over to The BritChips Podcast: Deep Fabrication - Predicting Defects in which I am in conversation with Dr. Yasir Noori, cofounder and CEO of London-based semiconductor design tool startup, Deep Fabrication, which is developing AI tools that can predict defects in semiconductor designs prior to manufacturing. After all, they do say that prevention is better than cure! Talking Heads is also available on the BritChips YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@BritChips) and in audio-only form on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anttheantidote.substack.com

    BritChips Talking Heads: Mark Isaacs, HarwellXPS
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About

The only podcast entirely dedicated to entrepreneurs, leaders, investors, partners, in fact everybody involved with UK semiconductor startups. Created and hosted by award-winning tech industry guru Anthony Miller. anttheantidote.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Anthony Miller
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Anthony Miller
  • Show Website
    The BritChips Podcast