Startups
TUSK IC, a fabless semiconductor company based in Antwerp, has raised €15 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Matterwave Ventures, FORWARD.one, and the Flanders Future Tech Fund, managed by PMV. The Schaubroeck family also participated, with existing investors continuing their support. Founded in 2018 as a spin-out from KU Leuven’s mmWave research group, TUSK IC designs highly integrated millimetre-wave integrated circuits and antenna modules for automotive, industrial, and satellite communications. Initially focused on radio-frequency chips for automotive radar and industrial sensing, the company expanded into satellite communications hardware in 2022. Its flagship product is a line of standard CMOS-based beamformer chips for Ka-band satellite links, which TUSK IC claims are the first of their kind. These chips are essential components in flat-panel antennas for satellite user terminals, offering a lower-cost, lower-power alternative to specialty semiconductor materials like SiGe that currently dominate the market. Marketed under the ConnectKa brand, the product family includes transmit and receive beamformer chips plus a low-noise amplifier, all designed for electronically steerable antennas used with LEO and MEO satellite constellations.
By leveraging mainstream CMOS manufacturing, TUSK IC aims to reduce costs without compromising performance, a key part of its mission to democratise satellite connectivity. “This milestone reflects the expertise and excellence of our entire team, who have turned an ambitious vision into a commercially relevant product platform,” said Kathleen Philips, CEO of TUSK IC. “The investment will accelerate the transition from prototype chips to high-volume production.” The Series A follows a contract awarded earlier this year by the European Space Agency, backed by BELSPO, under ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme. TUSK IC will use the funds to commercialise its Ka-band beamformer chips and scale production. The company is also collaborating with an unnamed satellite equipment manufacturer to integrate its beamformer technology into a new electronically steered array antenna.