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Synthara

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In-memory computing IP for energy-efficient embedded AI

Zurich, SwitzerlandFounded 2017Semiconductors

Valuation $10–25M Last recorded · 2024

Headcount <100 Current team size

Total funding $10–50M Disclosed equity funding

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About Synthara

Synthara is a Swiss semiconductor firm providing intellectual property (IP) for high-performance, energy-efficient chips designed for artificial intelligence applications at the edge. The company's core product is ComputeRAM™, a patent-pending, in-memory computing platform that integrates computation directly into memory. This approach is designed to overcome the data transfer bottlenecks found in traditional chip architectures, resulting in significant improvements in speed and energy efficiency for AI and machine learning workloads. Synthara's technology acts as a drop-in replacement for conventional SRAM, making it compatible with existing chip designs and processor architectures like Arm, RISC-V, and x86 without requiring major alterations.

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The company was founded in 2019 as a spin-off from the Institute of Neuroinformatics at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. The co-founders, Dr. Manu V. Nair (CEO) and Dr. Alessandro Aimar (CTO), based the company on their doctoral research. Nair's background includes roles at Analog Devices and Apical Imaging, with a PhD focused on the compute complexity of AI. Aimar has experience in GPU architecture at Imagination Technologies and a PhD in energy-efficient AI computation. The founding team was motivated to address the growing need for sophisticated AI capabilities in compact, battery-powered devices.

Synthara operates on a business model of licensing its IP to semiconductor companies and device manufacturers. This allows clients in markets such as wearables, robotics, IoT, and smart sensors to enhance their products with advanced AI and signal processing capabilities without the high costs and long development times associated with creating new chip architectures from scratch. The company states that its ComputeRAM™ can boost performance and energy efficiency by over 100 times in certain applications. Bosch has been publicly named as an early client, using Synthara's technology in applications ranging from accelerometers to microphones for voice control. The firm has raised over $11 million in a combination of venture capital and grants. Key investors include Vsquared Ventures, OTB Ventures, and High-Tech Gründerfonds, with industry veteran Hermann Hauser serving as an advisor.

Source: Dealroom company data