Bochum, Germany – November 19, 2024
Gemesys, an AI hardware startup developing brain-inspired chips, has raised €8.6 million in a pre-seed funding round led by the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund and Atlantic Labs. Additional investors include NRW.BANK, Sony Innovation Fund, and Plug and Play Tech Center, alongside grant funding from the German government’s EXIST “Transfer of Research” program.
A Leap Forward in Edge AI
Gemesys aims to reduce the energy consumption of AI model training and inference by leveraging memristor technology to mimic human brain efficiency. This novel chip architecture processes and stores data simultaneously, eliminating the “von Neumann bottleneck” found in traditional chip designs.
CEO Dr. Dennis Michaelis explained, “Our mission is to bring learning capabilities to every device through innovative, European-developed technology. By enabling on-device AI training, we’re setting new standards in distributed intelligence and sustainable computing.”
Funding Goals
The raised capital will support:
• R&D Acceleration: Enhancing chip architecture and advancing silicon testing.
• Team Expansion: Doubling the team, with a focus on software and hardware development roles.
• Go-to-Market Strategy: Partnering with pilot customers in energy grids, cochlear implants, and security sectors.
Industry Impact
Gemesys’s chips promise transformative benefits:
• Energy Efficiency: Reducing AI energy use by up to 10,000 times, crucial as global data center energy demands are projected to rise significantly by 2030.
• Enhanced Privacy: On-device processing eliminates the need to transmit raw data to cloud servers.
• Wider Applications: IoT, mobile devices, and other edge technologies stand to benefit from the reduced energy and data transfer requirements.
Strategic Vision for Europe
Gemesys aims to position Europe as a leader in AI hardware, challenging the dominance of Asia and the US. With its commitment to technological independence and sustainable innovation, the company is setting a precedent for advancing European capabilities in AI.
Ion Hauer of APEX Ventures stated, “Gemesys is redefining what’s possible in Edge AI, delivering unparalleled energy efficiency and unlocking new applications across industries.”
Gemesys plans to scale operations and refine its technology as it readies for broader market entry, supported by a team with diverse expertise and a commitment to innovation.
For more information, visit gemesys.com.
