**Reversible Computing: The Future of Energy and Heat Efficiency in Chips**
With the increasing demand for hardware to run AI models, energy and heat efficiency have become significant concerns for companies. The traditional computing model dissipates energy as heat, leading to high energy consumption and the need for extensive cooling setups. However, London and Seattle-based company Vaire Computing is taking a different approach by betting on reversible computing to address these issues.
Reversible computing allows calculations to be performed in both directions, retaining energy inside the chip instead of releasing it as heat. This method has the potential to generate negligible amounts of heat, significantly reducing energy consumption. Vaire Computing, founded by serial entrepreneur Rodolfo Rosini and researcher Hannah Earley, aims to build silicon chips that consume minimal energy and generate little to no heat.
Rosini explains that in reversible chips, energy is not dissipated as heat but rather recycled internally. This means that the chips remain cool and require only a small amount of energy to function. The concept of reversible computing is not entirely new, but Vaire Computing aims to make it a reality. Rosini compares the shift to reversible computing with the transition from filament bulbs to LEDs, emphasizing the efficiency and versatility of the new technology.
One advantage of reversible chips is their ability to be used on generic applications, similar to normal CPUs. This means that reversible computing can be applied to various tasks without the need for domain-specific chips. The potential of this technology is vast, and it could revolutionize the computer processor market.
Despite its potential, funding in the reversible computing space has been relatively low compared to other areas such as quantum computing and photonics. Rosini attributes this to the lack of interest in alternative chip architectures. However, Vaire Computing believes that they don’t require a significant amount of funding initially to prove the technology’s viability. Once they demonstrate its effectiveness, they will seek larger rounds of funding to scale up production.
Hannah Earley, co-founder of Vaire Computing, envisions reversible computing as the key to creating the most powerful computers possible. Her interest in the field began during her PhD in 2016 when she discovered the potential of reversible computing. When she met Rosini, they realized that they shared the same vision and founded Vaire Computing.
The recent $4 million Seed round led by 7percent Ventures and Jude Gomila, co-founder of Heyzap, brings Vaire Computing’s total funding to $4.5 million. The company has also attracted notable participants such as Seedcamp, Clim8, Tom Knight (an inventor of modern reversible computing), and Jared Kopf, founder of Ramble.ai. They have also hired Mike Frank, a renowned researcher in reversible computing, as their senior scientist.
Vaire Computing has gained recognition for its innovative technology and was selected as one of the ten companies in the second U.K. cohort of Intel Ignite, Intel’s global startup accelerator program for early-stage deep tech startups. This recognition further validates their potential impact on the AI chip and computer processor market.
In conclusion, Vaire Computing’s pursuit of reversible computing offers a promising solution to the energy and heat efficiency challenges faced by companies using and building chips. Their innovative approach has attracted funding and support from notable investors and experts in the field. As they continue to develop their technology, reversible computing could revolutionize the way we use and design chips, paving the way for more energy-efficient and powerful computers.