Loading organizations...
§ Private Profile · Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Synthara is a technology company.
Synthara has raised $17.4M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Synthara.
Synthara has raised $17.4M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Synthara develops ComputeRAM, an in-memory computing (IMC) solution designed to seamlessly integrate into embedded chips. This technology addresses the traditional memory bottleneck by allowing computations to occur directly within the memory, which significantly boosts processing speed and energy efficiency. ComputeRAM empowers chip makers to enhance the performance of their microcontroller platforms by streamlining data processing for demanding applications like AI.
The company was founded in 2017 by Manu V Nair, Iulia-Alexandra Lungu, and Alessandro Sebastianelli. Their foundational insight stemmed from recognizing the inefficiency of data transfer between memory and compute units in conventional architectures, particularly problematic for embedded artificial intelligence applications. The founders aimed to overcome this challenge by pioneering a more integrated and efficient processing paradigm.
Synthara's product serves chip and device makers across various sectors. Its applications span wearables, robotics, and programmable smart sensors, enabling more capable and energy-efficient devices. The company’s vision is to usher in a new era of embedded computing, fostering innovation by providing critical underlying technology that enhances device performance and reliability without imposing additional silicon or software overheads.
Synthara has raised $17.4M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Synthara's investors include Vsquared Ventures, Amadeus Capital Partners, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Mangrove Capital Partners.
Key people at Synthara.
Synthara is a Zurich-based semiconductor company founded in 2019, specializing in in-memory computing (IMC) solutions for embedded chips to boost AI performance at the edge.[1][2][3][6] Its flagship product, ComputeRAM™, integrates directly into existing chip designs, performing computations within memory to eliminate the von Neumann bottleneck—delivering up to 100x improvements in speed and energy efficiency without extra silicon or software costs.[2][5][6] Synthara serves chip makers and device manufacturers in wearables (e.g., hearing aids, fitness trackers), robotics (e.g., drones, cleaning robots), automotive, IoT, and smart sensors, solving the core problem of power-hungry AI inference in resource-constrained environments.[1][3][6] The company has raised over $11M in seed funding, launched an early adopter program with market leaders, and achieved multiple silicon generations with customer deployments, signaling strong growth momentum.[2][3][5]
Synthara emerged from interdisciplinary R&D at the Institute of Neuroinformatics (University of Zurich and ETH Zurich), blending system architecture, neuroscience, and neural networks to create energy-efficient edge-AI chips.[3] Co-founder and CTO Alessandro Aimar, with expertise in physical engineering, nanotechnologies, AI, and microchip architecture from Imagination Technologies and a PhD in energy-efficient AI, teamed up with co-founder Manu in 2019 to commercialize this breakthrough.[4] The idea addressed dynamic computational workloads in smart sensors, wearables, and IoT, where traditional chips trade off performance for power.[3] Early traction included an oversubscribed seed round exceeding $11M, backed by investors like Siemens Cre8Ventures, and partnerships with foundries and chip makers; by 2022, they launched products via an early adopter program attracting industry leaders.[2][3][5] Key figures like Chairman Sean Mitchell (ex-CEO of Movidius, acquired by Intel) bolstered the team with deep semiconductor experience.[4]
Synthara rides the edge AI explosion, where trillions of always-on devices demand efficient inference amid surging generative AI and computer vision needs—timing aligns with RISC-V's rise and EU pushes for sovereign semiconductors.[3][5][6] Market forces like energy constraints in wearables/IoT (projected to hit 75B devices by 2025) and robotics autonomy favor IMC over power-hungry GPUs/TPUs, positioning Synthara against players like Axelera AI and Fractile in a $100B+ embedded AI market.[1] By enabling "programmable smart sensors" and autonomous systems without efficiency trade-offs, Synthara influences the ecosystem: it accelerates chip innovation for non-hyperscalers, democratizes edge AI via drop-in IP, and supports sustainable computing in automotive and industrial IoT.[2][6]
Synthara's drop-in IMC positions it for explosive growth as edge AI scales to drones, smart homes, and beyond, with near-term wins from silicon deployments and MWC 2025 exposure signaling production ramps.[5][6] Trends like agentic AI, RISC-V proliferation, and zero-power sensing will amplify demand, potentially driving Series A and hyperscaler pilots by 2026. Its influence could evolve from niche IP provider to standard in embedded processors, unlocking a new era of intelligent, battery-free devices—transforming how we build tomorrow's chips today, just as its founders envisioned from Zurich labs.[3][4][5]
Synthara has raised $17.4M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $11.4M Grant / Other Equity in June 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2024 | $11.4M Grant | Vsquared Ventures | — | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2024 | $6M Seed | — | Amadeus Capital Partners, High Tech Gründerfonds, Mangrove Capital Partners | Announced |
