A start-up from the University of Glasgow has raised £400,000 to commercialise high performance microwave transistors and provide a European source.

XanIC is commercialising a semiconductor process technology that will produce a 94GHz low noise amplifier for applications such as security imaging, as well as sensing, communications, security and safety systems.

"We are in discussions as to a possible partner," said Rodger Sykes, CEO of microwave module start-up MMIC Solutions. "They have an interesting chip technology so they are a credible European source for our supply chain rather than a US supply chain as it is at the moment."

The investment comes from intellectual property commercialisation company the IP Group and the Glasgow/Strathclyde University Synergy Fund, and the new company is headed by serial entrepreneur Nick Wood as an interim CEO.

He is also head of incubation company daVinci Ventures, and CEO of another Glasgow spin out, Wireless bioDevices.

"There is a huge amount of commercial interest in XanIC's technology and products, which will deliver a step change in the cost and performance of next-generation security systems,"  said Wood. "This is a really exciting opportunity, establishing the UK at the heart of semiconductor development."

The work spins out of the Ultrafast Systems group at Glasgow University, which in March was part of a £4m project on new transistor technologies, and it uses a large-area electron beam lithography tool at the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre at the University to produce gallium arsenide-based devices with 50nm gate lengths.

See also: Electronics Weekly's Technology Start-ups, where you can find articles on technology start-ups in the UK, an interactive map showing the location and business sector of each start-up and links to useful websites for the technology entrepreneur.