Bridging the Radiation Gap: How Novigrad is Securing Canada’s Semiconductor Sovereignty

The modern space economy is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, yet the hardware that powers our orbital infrastructure remains vulnerable. For many Canadian aerospace and defense firms, the path to space was once blocked by a logistical bottleneck: the high cost and foreign dependence of radiation-qualification testing. Enter Novigrad, a Saskatoon-based startup founded by University of Saskatchewan engineering alumni Christopher Elash and Lars Kishchuk. Originally conceived as a chip-design house, the company pivoted to become a critical lynchpin in Canada’s domestic semiconductor ecosystem, providing the testing and validation services necessary to ensure that today’s advanced electronics can survive the harsh, unforgiving realities of space.

The Genesis of a Necessity

The story of Novigrad began with a realization that was both professional and deeply personal. Elash and Kishchuk, having cut their teeth on university satellite projects, understood the intricate challenges of space-grade electronics. When they first embarked on their startup journey, their primary ambition was to design and manufacture original semiconductor chips. However, as they engaged with the Canadian industrial landscape, they encountered a recurring theme: companies were drowning in the complexity of radiation qualification.

"We should make chips; everyone loves making chips," Elash recalled in an interview with EE Times. Yet, the feedback from potential partners was unanimous and urgent. Firms across Canada, from startups to established defense contractors, were struggling to get their products flight-ready. Radiation testing—a mandatory process to ensure hardware doesn’t fail under cosmic rays—was consistently described as "just awful," causing project delays and budget overruns. These companies were forced to outsource this testing to foreign facilities, primarily in the United States, which introduced significant geopolitical risk, logistical overhead, and prohibitive costs.

Recognizing that the true "gap" in the Canadian market wasn’t a lack of chip designers, but a lack of specialized verification infrastructure, Elash and Kishchuk pivoted. They decided to build the bridge that the industry was desperately missing.

Chronology of a Startup Pivot

The evolution of Novigrad is a testament to the importance of market-driven innovation.

• Pre-Inception (University Era): Elash and Kishchuk collaborate on Saskatchewan’s first satellite initiative, gaining firsthand experience with the fragility of commercial components in low-Earth orbit.
• The Conceptual Phase: The founders form Novigrad with the intent of developing custom semiconductor hardware.
• The Market Discovery: During 2024–2025, the founders engage in extensive industry outreach, discovering that the domestic demand for radiation testing services far outweighs the interest in a new custom chip supplier.
• The Strategic Pivot: Novigrad shifts its business model to focus on radiation-testing services, leveraging local expertise and research partnerships.
• The Growth Phase (2026): The company establishes a consistent pipeline of clients, ranging from "New Space" satellite startups to major defense contractors. They begin integrating advanced diagnostic techniques, including laser-based fault injection and gamma-ray exposure testing.

Technical Foundations: The Science of Survivability

The core of Novigrad’s value proposition lies in its ability to simulate the extreme environments of space on the ground. When a component enters the vacuum of space, it is bombarded by a constant stream of ionizing radiation. For sensitive semiconductors, this can result in "single-event effects" (SEE)—transient errors that can lead to anything from a minor bit-flip to a total system failure.

"This is the concern that keeps people up at night," Elash explains. To address this, Novigrad employs a multi-faceted testing approach:

1. Single-Event Effect (SEE) Analysis

Using particle accelerator facilities, Novigrad subjects components to heavy-ion beams to mimic the high-energy particles found in space. This allows the team to identify specific vulnerabilities where a single particle strike might trigger a software crash or a logic error.

2. Total Ionizing Dose (TID) Testing

Beyond immediate strikes, space electronics must endure long-term degradation. Novigrad uses cobalt-60 gamma sources to simulate the cumulative exposure an electronic device would face over years of operation. By observing how leakage currents, operating speeds, and threshold voltages shift over time, they can provide customers with a definitive "reliability profile."

3. Laser-Based Pre-Screening

One of the company’s most innovative pursuits is the use of laser-based fault-injection systems. Particle accelerator beam time is notoriously scarce and expensive. By using lasers as a cost-effective, accessible proxy for radiation testing, Novigrad allows its clients to perform iterative design cycles in-house, ensuring that only the most robust components are sent to the expensive, high-stakes accelerator facilities.

Implications for Canadian Sovereignty

The rise of Novigrad is a vital component of a broader push for Canadian technological independence. The defense sector, in particular, is signaling a move away from reliance on foreign supply chains. As Canada increases its investment in northern surveillance and arctic sovereignty, the demand for electronics that can function reliably in the polar regions—where radiation flux is higher due to the Earth’s magnetic field—has skyrocketed.

Kishchuk emphasizes that this is a national capability issue. "As Canada invests more in northern surveillance and sovereignty capabilities, understanding that environment becomes increasingly important," he noted. By keeping testing services within the country, Canada not only protects its intellectual property but also accelerates the development cycle for domestic aerospace firms.

Furthermore, the "New Space" revolution—characterized by constellations of smaller, cheaper satellites—relies heavily on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. Because these parts are not inherently "space-grade," they require intensive qualification before they can be trusted for orbital operations. Novigrad serves as the quality control filter, enabling the transition from standard electronics to space-hardened systems.

The Broader Context: Global Semiconductor Trends

Novigrad operates within a rapidly evolving global landscape. The industry is currently witnessing a massive surge in interest regarding space-qualified hardware, driven by companies like SpaceX, which is planning orbital data centers, and major semiconductor manufacturers like Infineon, Micron, and Avalanche Technology, all of whom are racing to bring radiation-hardened memory and power solutions to market.

In early 2026, the industry saw NHanced Semiconductors adopt Avalanche Technology’s MRAM for FPGA applications specifically to meet the rigorous demands of satellite missions. Similarly, Micron’s recent push into space-qualified NAND flash shows that the industry recognizes the urgent need for high-density, reliable storage that can survive the radiation environment. Novigrad is uniquely positioned to validate these components for Canadian missions, ensuring that global innovations can be safely integrated into local systems.

Conclusion: A Future Built at Home

The founders of Novigrad remain optimistic about the future of the Canadian semiconductor ecosystem. They are tapping into a growing pool of local talent—engineers and researchers who, until recently, felt they had to leave the country to pursue high-level work in aerospace hardware.

"A few years ago, people thought they couldn’t do this work in Canada," Elash said. "Now they’re looking to come back home and bring all the experience and knowledge."

By providing the critical testing infrastructure required for the space age, Novigrad is doing more than just identifying bugs in circuits; they are helping to build the physical foundation of Canada’s future in orbit and in the defense sector. As the demand for reliable, radiation-hardened hardware continues to grow, Novigrad stands as a prime example of how identifying a specific market gap can transform a startup into an essential pillar of national industry.