S1E26: Backed by Hong Kong Tycoon Li Ka-shing and Qualcomm, Taiwanese Startup Kneron Aims To Defined The AI Chips

Startup Island TAIWAN Podcast

Kneron has emerged as a leading provider of edge AI solutions. Despite the challenges of declining global financial markets, it raised $48 million US dollars at the B round in 2022. But did you know that it all started with an accident? Albert Liu, co-founder of Kneron, shared the story that he persuaded a former colleague to resign his job in Korea, move to Santiago and join a friend's startup project. However, what he did not know at that time is that this project actually did not get any funding and was not going to be accomplished. ‘’I brought him to my friend and my friend was shocked, he said that I did not get the funding, there is no project! Why do you already quit your job!’’ Albert laughed and recalled the memory of his former colleague resigning for nothing because of his misunderstanding. After half a year, the former colleague still wearing underwear crashed in his living room. To keep his wife from getting mad, Albert decided to make a deal with the former colleague that he would quit his job in Qualcomm and founded a company with him. Having the thought that once their project fails, both of them can go back to the big company and back to their normal life again. Beyond his expectation, they launched an edge AI chip that shocked the industry in the end.
Kneron produces AI systems on chip that offer the ideal balance of performance, power saving, and cost for hardware makers that are looking to benefit from on-device edge AI. Kneron’s highly power-efficient edge AI chip aims to make private and secure AI accessible everywhere and for everyone by overcoming the three bottlenecks of AI adoption by device makers – security, energy, and cost. It has signed up two Taiwan-based companies, Foxconn and Winbond, as strategic investors and recently acquired OTUS to accelerate autonomous vehicle applications. Join this episode with Albert Liu sharing the entrepreneurial process and philosophy, revealing the inspiring stories behind the success of Kneron.
In this episode of Startup Island Taiwan Podcast, you will find out:
☛ Reasons why Albert choose the topic of AI that was unpopular in 2015
☛ Inspiring by the Ten Percent of The Brain Myth, Kneron has focused on building AI models using small, modular units, akin to building blocks in a Lego set
☛ During a period of intense criticism from teammates, Kneron faced its worst time, with only two employees remaining on the team
☛ Kneron using one single chip to support vertical market from auto to AIoT
☛ Reasons behind Kneron acquired OTUS
Host: Asianometry, Deep tech channel with 476k followers, still growing
Guest: Albert Liu, Founder and CEO of Kneron
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