Ahmed El-Rayis

Ahmed El-Rayis is a co-founder of Sofant Technologies, an Edinburgh-based deep-tech company developing next-generation RF MEMS (radio-frequency micro-electromechanical systems) antenna technology. His work at Sofant grew out of over a decade of academic R&D at the University of Edinburgh, where the foundational science behind the company's proprietary platform was developed. Sofant was incorporated in Edinburgh in 2011, making it one of Scotland's pioneering semiconductor spin-outs.

Ahmed co-founded Sofant alongside Nakul Haridas and Professor Tughrul Arslan, combining expertise in RF engineering, semiconductor design, and wireless systems. The company's technology addresses a fundamental challenge in modern wireless communications: high-frequency phased array antennas consume enormous amounts of power and generate significant heat, limiting their practical use in 5G and satellite communications. Sofant's RF MEMS approach reduces power consumption by more than 70% compared to conventional semiconductor solutions.

Sofant has raised over £6 million across multiple funding rounds from investors including Scottish Enterprise, EMV Capital, Kelvin Capital, and EV Private Equity, with additional support from the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency. The company's technology is now being commercialised for satellite communications terminals and defence applications, having demonstrated the world's first fully functioning Ka-band transmit array using its proprietary beamforming IC.