Chip security startup Fortaegis partners up with TNO
Under this deal, Fortaegis aims to expedite the development of its unique chip security technology.
Published on July 24, 2025
© Fortaegis
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Dutch chip security startup Fortaegis is entering a strategic partnership with the Netherlands Institute for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), which is joining both as a partner and investor. Under this deal, the company aims to accelerate the development of its chip security solutions.
Fortaegis, established in Amsterdam in 2022, is pioneering a unique approach to chip security by leveraging the inherent physical characteristics of individual chips. Instead of relying solely on traditional software-based security measures, Fortaegis uses the chip's unique physical 'fingerprint' to provide enhanced protection and superior performance. This involves using physical unclonable functions (PUFs) to generate cryptographic keys, thus bypassing conventional device authentication and key generation methods and eliminating the need for digital certificates.
According to Boudewijn Wijnands, founder of Fortaegis Technologies, this hardware technology breakthrough offers ultra-secure, high-performance capabilities, effectively safeguarding critical assets from both cyber and physical attacks. It can secure communications of telecom networks, as well energy grids, drones and protect personal data. The company's Secure Processing Units (SPUs) add an extra layer of resilience, ensuring that if one chip is compromised, the others in the system continue to function independently.
The growing importance of chip security
TNO has contributed to the software foundations of Fortaegis's chip security technology, which was then further developed and integrated in its chip architecture. The research institute is now stepping up to invest in the current funding round—the value of this contribution is undisclosed. This collaboration also extends to application-level cooperation in areas such as federated learning and emerging network technologies, as well as joint research and longer-term R&D projects.
"Chip security is getting more attention because chips are the backbone of nearly all modern technology from phones and cars to medical devices, military systems, and AI. Further developing this key technology is crucial for the strategic autonomy of the Netherlands and Europe. By working closely with Fortaegis, we’re taking the next step in advancing a technology that could play a key role in global value chains," said the CEO of TNO, Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi.
Fortaegis's technology has already been tested in collaboration with TNO and has garnered interest from quantum research groups in the U.S., Denmark, and Japan. This partnership not only strengthens Fortaegis's position in the market but also enhances its ability to address both current and future cybersecurity challenges.
Fortaegis's future plans
Fortaegis has ambitious plans for the near future. The company anticipates launching its first products in late 2025 and early 2026, starting with field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) designed for secure networking in defense and semiconductor applications. By 2028, Fortaegis aims to produce a custom high-performance chip built on advanced 5nm technology.
Fortaegis's technology is versatile and can be applied to secure communications for autonomous vehicles and drones, protect AI workloads, and secure critical infrastructure like telecom networks and energy grids. As Vyas from Fortaegis stated, the quantum threat is not a distant concern but a present reality, emphasizing the need for organizations to act now to ensure quantum safety. The partnership with TNO will further support Fortaegis in overcoming engineering challenges, such as adapting chips for extreme environments and enabling secure AI networks with ultra-low latency between autonomous systems.
