Cambridge-based Silicon Microgravity Limited (SMG) has secured £6 million in funding to accelerate its commercial growth across the defence, space, and semiconductor sectors, in a raise that underlines growing investor appetite for strategically critical UK deep technology businesses.
The round was led by West Hill Capital, with participation from the UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund (UKI2S), managed by Future Planet Capital. Notably, UKI2S invested through both its Defence and Security and Space portfolios, marking the fund’s first participation in SMG through its Space Portfolio and building on an existing relationship through its Defence and Security portfolio.
Technology at the Heart of Modern Defence and Space
SMG develops proprietary microelectromechanical systems, known as MEMS, designed for extreme operating environments. These miniature devices combine mechanical and electronic components at microscopic scale and are increasingly critical across modern defence systems, satellite communications, navigation, sensing, and autonomous operations.
The company’s MEMS accelerometers are already supporting advanced space programmes, with applications spanning launch vehicles, lunar and planetary exploration, satellite-enabled critical mineral exploration, and wider dual-use commercial and sovereign capability deployments.
Francis Neill, CEO of SMG, said: “The future of defence, autonomous systems and space exploration depends on navigation and sensing technologies that are smaller, more accurate and capable of operating where GPS cannot. This investment allows us to accelerate commercial deployment of technologies that are already attracting significant interest from global customers and partners, while continuing to build sovereign sensing capability here in the UK.”
Strategic Significance for UK Sovereign Capability
The investment comes at a time of intense global focus on semiconductor supply chain resilience and technological sovereignty. Semiconductors and advanced sensing technologies sit at the heart of everything from precision navigation and counter-drone systems to satellite communications and autonomous platforms, making companies like SMG strategically important well beyond their commercial footprint.
Alexander Leigh, Investment Director, Defence and Security at UKI2S, said: “SMG represents exactly the kind of strategically important dual-use technology business the UK needs to scale. Semiconductors, sensing and advanced manufacturing are increasingly critical to both national security and the future competitiveness of the UK space sector. What makes SMG particularly compelling is the combination of deep technical differentiation and growing commercial validation from globally recognised customers. This level of traction demonstrates the relevance of UK-built advanced manufacturing capability on the international stage.”
David Hollidge, Partner at West Hill Capital, added: “West Hill is delighted to have had the opportunity to make a further investment in Silicon Microgravity with its world-class and truly groundbreaking technology that is revolutionising both navigational and subsurface imaging systems for defence, aerospace and subterranean exploration.”
Investment Plans
The £6 million raise will be deployed to scale SMG’s UK manufacturing capability, expand its engineering and semiconductor production capacity, and accelerate commercial partnerships across Europe and the United States.
The funding round positions SMG as a significant player in the UK’s emerging sovereign technology industrial base, operating at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, defence, and space infrastructure at a time when resilient domestic supply chains for critical technologies have never been more important.
