Startup Fortaegis raises $50M for chip security

Amsterdam-based startup Fortaegis has raised $50 million for technology that uses the unique properties of silicon chips to secure digital networks. The technology is designed to make applications in areas including defence, space, telecommunications and autonomous systems more secure.

Fortaegis aims to add a new layer of security to computer systems: not on top of the hardware through software, but directly within the chip itself. The three-year-old company now works with governments and around 25 companies, including ASML, on applications for its so-called Secure Compute technology.

Every chip has a unique fingerprint

Fortaegis’ technology exploits a fundamental property of silicon: no two chips are exactly alike. Small physical variations that occur during the manufacturing process give each chip a unique digital ‘fingerprint’.

Fortaegis uses these properties to generate cryptographic keys. According to the company, these keys are not stored permanently and can change continuously. This is intended to make the system harder to crack than traditional security methods in which encryption keys are stored on a device.

The company also says its approach could be suited to a future in which quantum computers threaten existing cryptography. According to Fortaegis, its security keys are not based on a fixed mathematical problem, but are generated directly from the physical properties of the chip. As a result, the company says, they are harder to predict or calculate, even with a quantum computer.

Key application

The technology has a wide range of potential applications. Fortaegis is targeting sectors including defence, space, telecommunications and data centres. Systems in which large numbers of devices need to communicate securely and quickly are a particularly important application.

One example is autonomous drone swarms. Fortaegis is working with the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) on this area. One joint project is exploring optical communication between drones. This technology could enable high data speeds while also reducing vulnerability to disruption.

Working with ASML and others

The company is also working with ASML and Eindhoven University of Technology on a security framework for autonomous AI systems. The technology is intended to help secure critical hardware and digital infrastructure, which Fortaegis says contributes to digital sovereignty.

Fortaegis is also working with governments in the US, UK, Japan, Germany, France and the Netherlands, and is involved in NATO activities focused on emerging technologies.

About the funding round

The new funding round is led by Singapore-based investment firm Serendipity Capital. The venture capital arm of Japanese chipmaking equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron is also participating.

With the new funding, Fortaegis plans to begin commercial production in 2027. Over the coming years, the company aims to integrate its technology into chips and systems on a larger scale.