Is it possible for a startup to compete with NVIDIA, the $1 trillion behemoth dominating AI hardware? Thomas Sohmers and his team at Positron are betting they can and they're moving at lightning speed to prove it.
In this episode, Chris Saad sits down with Thomas Sohmers, founder and CEO of Positron, to explore how this ambitious startup is aiming to disrupt the AI chip market currently dominated by NVIDIA.
In this episode, you will:
- Discover how Positron achieved working hardware in just 18 months, defying typical timelines for chip startups
- Learn about Positron's strategy for compatibility with existing AI frameworks like HuggingFace
- Understand the performance and efficiency advantages Positron claims over NVIDIA's offerings
- Explore how the team's deep industry experience from companies like Grok and F5 Networks gives them an edge
- Gain insights into Positron's innovative use of FPGAs for rapid iteration before moving to custom chips
- Hear about the company's funding journey and current Series A raise
- Uncover valuable lessons for founders on competing against industry giants
01:07 On Today's Show
02:25 The Startup Podcast Pact
02:50 Positron's Mission and Market
04:09 Technical Advantages of Positron
05:46 Performance Comparison with NVIDIA
09:10 Development and Iteration
18:24 Team and Founder Background
27:38 Underlying Tech: FPGAs
34:44 Current Traction and Future Plans
36:22 Overcoming Software Moats
41:53 Funding and Future Plans
43:03 Closing Thoughts
Learn more about the startup
Skyfire Website: https://www.positron.ai/
Follow Thomas Sohmers on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trsohmers/
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Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
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Editor: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/
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