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

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

Author: Meet Global @Business Next Media April 28, 2023 Duration: 35:53

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

Powered by Startup Island TAIWAN
Directed by National Development Council
Produced by Meet Global by Business Next Media

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📪 Email us: global@bnext.com.tw

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There's a vibrant, often overlooked ecosystem of innovation humming away on an island in the Pacific. Startup Island TAIWAN Podcast pulls back the curtain on this world, offering a direct line to the founders, investors, and technologists shaping Taiwan's future. Each episode moves beyond headlines to explore the real stories behind the region's rise in cutting-edge fields like semiconductors, AI, and biotech. You'll hear candid conversations about the journey from garage to global scale, including the pursuit of that elusive unicorn status, and how these companies are building crucial bridges to markets across Asia and the world. Produced by Meet Global at Business Next Media, this series serves as an essential audio companion for anyone curious about the business and technology landscapes being redrawn today. It’s not just about what’s being built, but about the people building it and the unique position Taiwan holds in the global chain of innovation. Tune in for grounded, insightful discussions that connect the dots between ambitious ideas, practical execution, and international opportunity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 93

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