Startup SandGrain provides unique chip authentication for IOT

SandGrain and TU Delft Enterprises are pleased to announce the formal start of business of SandGrain B.V.

SandGrain will focus on a totally new concept of hardware-based authentication of objects, that will allow asset tracking and a much higher level of security and robustness compared to today’s solutions. Founder and new CEO Eduard Hoeberichts, former ASML executive: “We strongly believe that our new company provides an unique solution for one of the main problems with the roll out of the Internet-of-Things: authentication of the IoT end node that is robust to hacking, copying or counterfeiting. This is a potentially very large market that is looking for new, cost effective and industrial scalable solutions“.

Founder and new CTO Pieter Hooijmans, a former Philips and NXP executive, adds: “With the SandGrain technology we solve the fundamental problem related to today’s use of microcontroller-based solutions, which are intrinsically prone to hacking. Due to the hard coding of our ICs hacking is effectively useless”.

Founder Casper Juffermans, Chief Process Technology, also former NXP Director of CMOS Process Technology Development, is the link to the Delft University of Technology: “The development of our proprietary technology will make use of the Else Kooi-Lab of the TUD, thus tapping into the huge experience of this organization in the field of IC technology”.

The other two founders are Jeroen Doumen, with 10+ years’ experience as Technology Manager in security products for Irdeto, and Halbe Lunshof, a patent expert in this field based on many years in the semiconductor industry.

Paul Althuis – director of Delft Enterprises adds: “Cybersecurity in general and more specific cybersecurity innovation based on chip hardware is a strategic area for TU Delft and we are very pleased to be closely involved in this exciting new technology that combines lithography, CMOS manufacturing and cybersecurity and supports a secure and sustainable society”.