ENSI Ensilica Plc

The information contained within this announcement was deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the UK Market Abuse Regulation.

3 February 2025

EnSilica plc

("EnSilica", the "Company" or the "Group")

£10.38 million UK Space Agency Award

Advances EnSilica's chip development for the next generation of satellite broadband hardware

EnSilica (AIM: ENSI), a leading chip maker of mixed signal ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), is pleased to announce that it has been awarded £10.38 million funding over the next three years from the UK Space Agency for a development project under its Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit ("C-LEO") programme (the "Project").

EnSilica put forward in its application a compelling business case supported by letters of interest from potential lead customers to develop a family of semiconductor chips to support future generations of best-in-class, highly integrated, mass market satellite broadband user terminals. The terminals will be capable of connecting with various satellite constellations and will leverage advanced semiconductor technology. In addition, the Project will provide a resilient and secure source of chips which is independent and not tied to specific satellite service operators. Example target constellations include OneWeb and IRIS2, the planned European Union multi-orbit constellation.

The market potential for satellite user terminals is growing rapidly, as demonstrated by Starlink, and is projected to reach c. US$16.5 billion by 2031¹. Each terminal requires hundreds of specialist chips to create an electronically steerable antenna.

The cornerstone funding from the UK Space Agency followed a competitive application process and will fund up to half the cost of the overall Project. Payments will be made against milestones achieved over the three-year Project duration. The funding will enable EnSilica to secure partners and customers to deliver and commercially exploit the Project.

The UK Space Agency's C-LEO programme was launched last year and is designed to ensure that the UK space sector remains competitive in the rapidly evolving global market for LEO constellations. With a total funding pool of up to £160 million available over the next four years, the C-LEO programme supports the development of smarter satellites, enhanced hardware, AI-driven data delivery, and improved inter-satellite connections.

This new Project builds on EnSilica's successful history of collaboration with the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency, alongside other key satellite communications partnerships and the Company's own investment in the technology.

Ian Lankshear, CEO, commented:

"We are honoured and proud to have won this highly significant award from the UK Space Agency under the C-LEO programme, as we believe satellite communications is an incredibly important sector for EnSilica and one that is fast expanding globally.

This funding will enable us to advance our technology and bring innovative solutions to the satellite broadband market, with the project expected to be hugely beneficial to society, offering resilient internet connectivity in times of crisis, as well as providing high speed internet connectivity in remote communities not well served by terrestrial networks.

We welcome the ongoing support from the UK Space Agency, which provides the framework for EnSilica to develop the technology required to address a market worth many hundreds of millions."

¹ https://growthmarketreports.com/report/satellite-communication-terminal-market-global-industry-analysis

For further information please contact:

The person responsible for arranging release of this announcement on behalf of the Company is Ian Lankshear, Chief Executive Officer.

About EnSilica

EnSilica is a leading fabless design house focused on custom ASIC design and supply for OEMs and system houses, as well as IC design services for companies with their own design teams. The company has world-class expertise in supplying custom RF, mmWave, mixed signal and digital ICs to its international customers in the automotive, industrial, healthcare and communications markets. The company also offers a broad portfolio of core IP covering cryptography, radar, and communications systems. EnSilica has a track record in delivering high quality solutions to demanding industry standards. The company is headquartered near Oxford, UK and has design centres across the UK and in Bangalore, India and Porto Alegre, Brazil.