How a small British tech company on a quiet industrial estate on the outskirts of Reading helped develop Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip

It may resemble a classic Silicon Valley success story, but a key part of Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chip was built by a small British company based on a quiet industrial estate on the outskirts of Reading. It was revealed exclusively by MailOnline.

Located in an isolated development almost entirely surrounded by water, about a mile from the M4, chip designer Sondrell’s headquarters is an unlikely source of critical technology supporting one of the biggest scientific developments in recent years. .

But the start-up, valued at less than £5 million and listed on the London Stock Exchange’s small-cap market AIM, backed some of the semiconductor technology that enables Neuralink’s implants to function.

Sondrell is just one of the few capable We design and supply chips with higher specifications than required. Other companies are based in Asia and are considered vulnerable to Chinese interference.

Like many sensitive technological developments, the project is subject to multiple non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), keeping the exact role played by the British designer and the many other companies involved in secrecy. It’s wrapped.

But sources familiar with the project suggested Sondrell played a key role in supporting California-based Neuralink. On Sunday, scientists successfully implanted a chip into the brain of a patient for the first time.

“Sondrell solved a problem that others couldn’t. It was needed in the final product, so he played a very important role,” a source told MailOnline.

The Berkshire company’s chief executive is Graham Cullen, who graduated in electrical engineering from the University of Leeds and went on to take up a role at Avant. Electronic Design Automation Company, Ltd.

He founded Sondrel in 2002 after recognizing a gap in the market for an international company specializing in complex chip designs.

Elon Musk said Neuralink’s implant, called “telepathy,” has potential. It allows users with disabilities like Stephen Hawking to use their thoughts to move their bodies and “communicate faster than an auctioneer.”

He said this would “allow you to control your phone, your computer, and almost any device through them, just by thinking.”

Due to safety concerns, Neuralink struggled for some time to obtain the necessary approvals for human trials, with some experts warning that the technology could be misused for “neurosurveillance.” There is.

However, with permission from the United States, they were able to begin testing the chip on humans. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made the announcement in September.

Neuralink turned to Sondrel for expertise in designing the most complex chips known as ASICs.

The UK company’s main peers include Taiwan’s Global Unichip Corporation and Alchip, and Japan’s Socionext, both with market capitalizations of more than £3.5 billion.

MailOnline understands there was no material financial benefit for Sondrel from the partnership with Neuralink, but it could boost the company’s reputation among potential customers and investors.

The company’s role in Mr Musk’s pet project is part of a wider debate about Britain’s ability to fund and grow big tech and artificial intelligence (AI) companies without them having to move overseas for more money. Born inside.

Last year, Arm, the Cambridge-based semiconductor designer and arguably Britain’s most successful high-tech company, chose to list on the Nasdaq rather than the London Stock Exchange in hopes of gaining a higher valuation. There were voices of disappointment.

Arm’s chips are in nearly every smartphone on the planet, and the company would have quickly become one of the biggest stocks on the FTSE 100.

Building a domestic manufacturing base for semiconductors is a key priority of Western leaders, as they play a key role in almost all consumer electronics and other systems such as automated teller machines, trains, and communication systems. It has become a goal.

Prime Minister Jeremy Hunt revealed last year that a plan was in the works. A ‘semiconductor strategy’ as part of a wider move to reduce Britain’s dependence on Asian markets.

Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway “province” that will eventually come under the control of the Chinese government, through the use of force if necessary, is the world’s most advanced manufacturer of the world’s most advanced products used in smartphones, computers, cars and military equipment. It produces an astonishing 90 percent of microchips.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said “unification” with Taiwan, which is just 160 miles off China’s southeastern coast, “must be accomplished” and staged a series of military displays in the Taiwan Strait. .

A spokesperson for Mr Sondrell declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline.