When the chips were down, they opted to stand up

As engineers and colleagues at a software firm, T R Shashwath and Sharan Jagathrakshakan often discussed the need for powerful processors to drive new-age AI algorithms. The microprocessor hardware they encountered was either too expensive or didn’t meet their needs. The duo decided to do something about it. They quit their jobs and launched Mindgrove Technologies to make systems-on-chips (SoCs) on their own.

They decided to seek the guidance of IIT-M director Kamakoti V, who had headed the group that made the first Indian open-source microprocessor Shakti. Mindgrove connected with IIT-M’s Pravartak Foundation and incubation cell and set up office at the research park.

Mindgrove’s three SoC series are designed specifically for edge signal processing and vision applications, and will carry the Shakti microprocessor. While high performance SoCs typically use high power, Mindgrove Silicon SoCs attempt to deliver similar performance with low power. The chips can go into biometric devices, automotives, consumer electronics appliances, industrial IoT tools and smart power meters.

“In this sector, either you go up to the moon or you drop at launch,” says Shashwath. “A small order in this business is 10,000 units (a year) and a large one can run up to millions. It’s a matter of getting ourselves into the supply chain,” he adds.

Today, the startup has multiple customers who have signed on to evaluate the chips once they’re out. The company has completed the design and is awaiting a manufacturing slot at a global semiconductor giant. The first set of chips is likely to be out by August.

With devices getting more connected than ever, demand for high performance chips is at an alltime high. Though India lacks chip manufacturing capabilities, industry estimates that Indian engineers make up more than 30% of the world’s semiconductor designers.

While global giants such as Intel and Qualcomm have R&D offices in India, there are few homegrown companies. And, they are often not able to match the prices of the Chinese chips and the R&D firepower of the Americans. Further, the long gestation period from designing a chip to validating it and getting it made by global silicon makers has been a challenge.

Starting with a grant of ₹50 lakh from Pravartak, Mindgrove managed to secure $2. 3 million in seed funding from marquee investors such as Sequoia Capital India, Speciale Invest and Whiteboard Capital recently. “Incubation at IIT-M and presence here at the research park helped us a lot,” says Jagathrakshakan. They also hustled and networked their way to clinch the funding, he adds.

Speaking to TOI about Mindgrove, IITM’s Kamakoti says what the startup is attempting is a very big task and needs immense ‘atmavishwas’. “This selfconfidence in our abilities to do the impossible is the first step towards atmanirbhartha,” he says.

“Entrepreneurship is hard; semiconductor entrepreneurship is harder. Getting it done in the city I call home is a challenge I relish,” says Jagathrakshakan.