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In this latest episode of The BritChips Podcast, Rayd Technologies cofounder and CEO Kilian Stenning explains how he, co-CTOs Riccardo Sapienza (Professor of Physics at Imperial) and Kirsten Moselund (Head of Laboratory at PSI Paul Scherrer Institut) and CSO Jack Gartside (Associate Professor of Physics at Imperial) are leading pioneering work on photonic semiconductor technology and novel algorithms with the potential to shape the future of AI.
In this episode:
* Killian’s unexpected journey from nuclear accident analysis to semiconductor startup founder
* The origins and evolution of RayD Technologies and its unique name
* How brain-inspired dynamics enable learning from limited data
* The role of photonics and nonlinear systems in ultra-fast AI processing
* The current hardware prototype and plans for miniaturization
* Application focus: medical imaging, robotics, and beyond
* Funding progress, including support from the Royal Academy of Engineering
* The startup’s strategic collaborations and upcoming milestones
* Insights on balancing technological deep dives with business growth
* The importance of team, network, and perseverance in startup success
Timestamps (approx)
00:00 - Introduction to Kilian and the fusion of photonics and brain-inspired computing
02:05 - Kilian’s early career in nuclear accident analysis in Japan
03:04 - How photonics hardware inspired the company’s research direction
04:11 - Developing scalable semiconductor photonic platforms at Imperial College
05:24 - The collaboration between hardware and algorithm teams to create RAYD’s technology
06:45 - From academic research to commercial startup: the journey of recognition
07:01 - Key breakthroughs in processing medical images with limited data
08:23 - The story behind the company’s name, RAYD
09:47 - Differentiating RAYD’s neuromorphic approach from traditional AI and neuromorphic systems
10:34 - Brain-inspired features like parallelism and nonlinear activation functions
11:41 - How the system learns efficiently, mimicking human learning with minimal data
12:46 - Achieved reductions of up to 30x in training data requirements
13:26 - Hardware versus algorithms: the photonics platform’s critical role
14:22 - Unique nonlinear photonic processing in RAYD’s device, using laser systems
15:31 - Application scenarios in medical imaging and robotics, sourcing data from public datasets
17:22 - Development stage: tiny device, large supporting hardware, and plans for miniaturization
18:27 - Roadmap to portable systems and real-world testing
19:14 - Interest from robotics companies for on-device learning and adaptability
21:01 - Funding updates: success with the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Green Future Fellowship
22:13 - Hardware refinement, engineering teams, and future milestones
23:15 - Focus on robotics applications and exploring broader use cases
24:54 - Funding plans, runway, and potential for co-funding from industry partners
28:13 - Insights from the ChipStart program and strategic mentorship
30:39 - Meet Robert Swann, chairman with a rich industry background
31:37 - Future ambitions: balancing technical depths with business growth
34:11 - Advice for researchers aspiring to start their own ventures
35:36 - The significance of team and market understanding in startup success
36:14 - Competitive landscape and uniqueness of RAYD’s approach
37:25 - Final gratitude and future outlook
Resources & Links:
* Royal Academy of Engineering Green Future Fellowship
* PSI (Photonic Systems in Switzerland)
* Robert Swan - LinkedIn, Alpha Mosaic
The BritChips Podcast is proudly sponsored by Silicon Catalyst UK, Official Partner of the government-funded ChipStartUK semiconductor incubator.
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