Chennai-based Mindgrove Technologies on Sunday launched India’s first indigenously designed commercial System on Chip (SoC), named Secure IoT. The IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation and IIT Madras Incubation Cell incubated startup claims that the new high-performance microcontroller, suitable for a wide array of IoT devices, is set to disrupt the market by being priced 30 per cent lower than its competitors.
The Peak XV Partners-backed startup’s chip operates at 700 MHz and stands out as the only commercially available Indian chip in this high-demand segment. The SoC is positioned for Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) which can integrate this product into their devices, thereby enhancing feature-rich devices at reduced costs. Its application reportedly spans diverse fields, from wearable technology and smart home devices to more complex systems like electric vehicle battery management and smart city infrastructure.
In a statement, Shashwath TR, CEO and co-founder at Mindgrove Technologies said, “The pandemic revealed the wide gap between high-end and low-end players in the embedded systems space, with the latter prioritising cost and volume over the chip’s actual performance.”
He added, “Thus, we set out to design chips that target the middle market. ‘Right-sizing’ has been the key differentiating factor when it comes to Mindgrove, giving it an edge over others, with enhanced flexibility, adaptability, security and cost-efficiency coupled with a robust support system.”
The Secure IoT chip has successfully completed its MPW tape-out at the 28nm node and that OEMs can expect reference boards to become available in the coming weeks. The chip integrates key security algorithms as hardware accelerators, includes secure boot, and features on-chip one-time programmable memory, which could make it a compelling choice for developers aiming for high-security applications.
Reflecting on the market potential, Shashwath noted that India consumes over a billion chips annually and projected that Secure IoT could replace up to 50 million of these. The global market, too, appears ripe for the picking, with Mindgrove expecting keen interest from international buyers.
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