Preparing for the next frontier
At this year’s AGM, I shared my vision and BrainChip’s goal to extend technology leadership, increase customer focus, and to accelerate AI deployment at the Edge. With the recent release of Akida products based off the 2nd Generation architecture, we are building on the foundation set by the first generation of Akida. Beyond this, we consistently invest in developing an extensive technology pipeline that contributes to our competitive advantage, with 18 patents granted and 30 pending. We are also looking to empower our organization to bring this technology to market and prepare for the next step in our growth.
To that effect, I want to announce the planned retirement of co-founder and CTO Peter Van der Made which is scheduled for the end of the year. Peter has been the face of BrainChip since its inception. His intelligence and energy have been foundational in the creation and growth of the company. As the company has moved firmly into the commercialization stage with the addition of several qualified industry veterans to the leadership team, Peter feels confident of the company’s position and that it is the proper time to retire from day-to-day activities. However, Peter will continue to be involved with BrainChip in three meaningful ways. He will continue to sit on the Board of Directors, and the Scientific Advisory Board and, most importantly, will advise the company as Technologist Emeritus.
It is also my pleasure to introduce M. Anthony (Tony) Lewis as the new CTO for BrainChip. Tony has had a stellar career in industry in academia and is at heart, an entrepreneur, with a strong focus on Artificial Intelligence, Neuromorphic Computing and Robotics. As the former VP and Global Head of the AI and Emerging Compute Lab at HP, Inc., he played a pivotal role in AI integration into a variety of print and computer products, customer service, and commercial printer maintenance. Tony also made significant contributions at Qualcomm, Inc., where he led the Zeroth© Neuromorphic Engineering Project. He also contributed to projects in intelligent AI agents and robotics and collaborated closely with Qualcomm Ventures in new business development activities. In the academic arena, Tony has served as a visiting or adjunct professor at the University of Arizona, the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Waterloo. His entrepreneurial spirit is evident in his founding of a government funded R&D company specializing in neuromorphic computing and robotics. Tony has also made his mark as a startup advisor and investor, bringing his technical acumen to various innovative ventures.
Tony holds a Ph.D. and master’s in electrical engineering, with a specialization in robotics and neuroscience from the University of Southern California and a BS in Cybernetics from University of California, Los Angeles.
I would like to welcome Tony to our leadership team and personally thank Peter for his energy, intelligence, and drive that has helped bring BrainChip to where it is today. While it is bitter-sweet, I’m also excited that with this seamless transition to Tony and his immense experience, we will further accelerate Akida’s technology pipeline to market.
Sean Hehir, CEO
