The round was led by Vsquared Ventures, with OTB Ventures, Hermann Hauser’s Onsight Ventures, Deep Tech Labs, along with existing investors such as High-Tech Gründerfonds, DeepIE, Excellis, ZKB and first investor and early believer Sandeep Raju. Hermann Hauser also joined the company as an advisor.
According to Synthara, this funding will be used to introduce the company’s patent-pending product, ComputeRAM, to embedded computing applications.
With demand for AI-rich embedded applications such as robotics, sensing, and wearables increasing rapidly – worth around $200bn today and growing at over 15% CAGR – many of these applications are becoming too complex for conventional embedded chips.
Embedded device makers are having to sort through an increasingly complex ecosystem of hardware and software products, resulting in increasing costs, but by enhancing conventional on-chip memories with computing capabilities, ComputeRAM can enable micro-controllers that are 100x better, both in terms of energy efficiency and latency.
These high-performance and flexible micro-controller chips can be used to address a broad set of AI-rich applications, helping to lower costs and time to market, while creating new opportunities for chipmakers and device makers.
Founded in 2019 as a spin-off from the Institute of Neuroinformatics at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, Synthara is based on the doctoral research of Dr. Manu V. Nair and Dr. Alessandro Aimar.
Manu V Nair, Co-Founder and CEO of Synthara said “With ComputeRAM, we are looking to enable a new breed of feature-rich products that are only limited by the creativity of the developers. This founding round empowers us to work closely with our early adopter community as they develop game-changing chips and devices.”
Hermann Hauser, founder of Acron Computers and ARM and advisor to Synthara, said, “The seamless integration of in-memory computing into existing chip designs is a game-changer, significantly enhancing capabilities and performance. This advancement is particularly relevant for AI applications, where the need for faster, more efficient processing is paramount. I believe we are at the knee of the curve, poised to enter an era of unprecedented growth. This technology will serve an ever-expanding market, driving innovation and enabling breakthroughs across various industries."
In addition to raising venture capital, Synthara is involved in several significant European projects, targeting advanced computing and next-generation AI applications (Rebecca, Centric, and Tristan).
The company has also secured substantial funding from Innosuisse and SERI, including a recent CHF 2.5 million Swiss Accelerator grant to advance next-generation edge AI chips.
