May 26, 2023

Analog Inference: Lower Power, Higher Performance Analog Inference is enabling powerful edge AI using analog computing Written by 2 min As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) continue disrupting many industries, companies are increasingly turning to compute-intensive applications. However, achieving and maintaining the extremely large amount of processing these workloads require is extremely difficult due to the inadequacy of existing hardware that can’t manage low power needs — especially in edge markets such as surveillance, smart retail, smart city, mobile phones, and other edge devices. Alumni Ventures portfolio company Analog Inference is helping deliver the high-performance and low-power edge AI needs with next-gen technology that is radically superior to current digital computing solutions. The company’s AI chips have far better performance per watt than traditional computing options, which is critical for enabling proper AI computation at the edge of networks and devices. Momentous Market and Superior Product Analog Inference is designing more affordable AI coprocessor chips that boast exceptional performance while requiring less power than current solutions. These chips have distinct advantages over incumbents in the marketplace, such as: Order-of-magnitude better performance per watt than traditional solutions Mature process node enabling GPU performance at edge cost Large capacity enabling data-center grade neural nets at the edge One of Analog’s initial target markets is video, specifically working with surveillance players and other companies needing to run video analytics at the edge. However, the company’s technology has the potential to integrate with other fast-growing markets, including autonomous vehicles, edge-cloud inference, and mobile phones. The company already has engagements with prominent companies across these industries. Knowledgeable Lead Investor and Experienced Team Analog is backed by an established investor syndicate, including Khosla Ventures. The well-known VC firm led the company’s seed round and holds two board seats. Founder Vinod Khosla is one of the most respected Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. He has founded multiple companies besides Khosla, including Daisy Systems and Sun Microsystems (acquired by Oracle in a deal worth $7 billion). He also incubated several other startups (Juniper Networks, Nexgen) and is now acting as an advisor to Analog Inference. Analog’s team has deep technical expertise in semiconductors, AI, and analog computing. CEO Carey Kloss has been involved with the AI accelerator sector since 2014 and has deep expertise in AI and neural computing. Before joining Analog Inference in 2020, he was employee #1 at the leading AI company Nervana Systems and led full-stack engineering for Intel’s data-center NNP AI products. Founder, President, & COO Vishal Sarin has led the creation of groundbreaking analog and AI technology at Micron, Fast-Chip, Information Storage Devices, SST/Microchip, and National Semiconductor. He holds over 100 patents. How We Are Involved Blue Ivy Ventures (for the Yale community) sponsored Alumni Ventures’ investment in the company’s $10.6 million Series A . Alumni Ventures secured an allocation through a connection with Khosla, who led the round. Sibling funds Green D Ventures (for the Dartmouth community), Strawberry Creek Ventures (for the UC Berkeley community), and Triphammer Ventures (for the Cornell community) also participated in the round, along with AV’s Deep Tech Fund and Total Access Fund . Webinar The Latest Advances in AI and Machine Learning: A Conversation with CEOs and Founders Watch this on-demand presentation featuring founders of leading AI companies in the Alumni Ventures portfolio as we discuss the latest advances in AI, the exciting potential of innovating companies in this sector and the wide-ranging impact of AI-related technology. Presenters