Last Mile Semiconductor and the EIC Accelerator: A European IoT Chip

Last Mile Semiconductor, a fabless chip company founded in Dresden in 2022, designs a system-on-chip for DECT NR+, an ETSI standard recognised by the ITU as a non-cellular 5G technology, which lets devices form their own long-range, low-power wireless networks in the licence-free 1.9 GHz band without a mobile operator. Its EIC Accelerator project, SECURE-E, "Secure and Efficient Chipset for Uninterrupted Reliable Connectivity in Europe", receives an EU contribution of €2,493,313 and runs from December 2024 to November 2026, according to CORDIS. The chip combines radio, baseband, RISC-V processors and a quantum-resistant secure element, targeting range of up to 6 kilometres.

In the first year, the report says, the company taped out its first NR+ test chip in 22-nanometre FDSOI at GlobalFoundries in Dresden, with all major blocks integrated, but "as expected for a first silicon revision, some performance targets such as sensitivity, low power behaviour of PLL and digital baseband, and full SoC low power modes will require optimisation in the next version", according to CORDIS. FPGA prototypes were used for demonstrators, including low-latency audio streaming with Sennheiser, and work with pilot customers was ongoing. In December 2025 the company closed a seven-figure seed round with TGFS, the EIC Fund and MBG Sachsen to prepare series production, according to TGFS.

Where Last Mile Semiconductor Stands Now

The NR+ ecosystem is growing: the DECT Forum's September 2026 release names Last Mile Semiconductor and Nordic Semiconductor as the chip suppliers, alongside software firms and product companies including Siemens, Schneider Electric and Legrand, ahead of DECT World in November 2026, according to Last Mile Semiconductor. The company has not announced production silicon, customers or revenue. Its accounts were not accessible in free sources.

The Technology: 5G Without the Network

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa and cellular IoT each cover part of the need for connected sensors, but none combines long range, low power, low cost and strong security, the EIC report argues. NR+ lets organisations build private wireless networks without depending on a public operator. Last Mile's chip integrates the radio and a secure element on one die made in Dresden, which it presents as a European supply chain alternative.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The project runs to November 2026, so it is too early to judge it. First silicon exists but falls short on sensitivity and power, which are core selling points for an IoT chip. According to the report, some performance targets need optimisation in the next version; whether pilot customers have validated performance is not reported.

1. First test chipTaped out22 nm FDSOI.
2. Performance targetsPartly metRework needed.
3. Pilot customer validationOngoingNone named.
4. EIC equityInvestedSeed round, 2025.

The Money

The EIC Fund invested in Last Mile's seven-figure seed round alongside Saxony's TGFS and MBG, one of the cases where the EIC's equity was deployed. The round size was not disclosed exactly.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The report ties the chip to the Chips Act, the Cybersecurity Act and digital sovereignty: a European-designed, European-made wireless chip for buildings, meters and industry.

The Verdict

Last Mile Semiconductor and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.