Procero, a company focused on enabling edge AI use cases, is making significant strides in empowering businesses to run AI applications locally and within their own environments. In a recent interview, Board Director Dr. Richard Reiner discussed Procero's mission, its technology's potential, and its views on the evolving AI landscape.
Procero's core focus is to enable AI applications, including Large Language Models (LLMs) and other generative AI, to operate on-premise, addressing critical concerns around data privacy, cost-efficiency, and latency. Dr. Reiner highlighted the increasing demand for edge AI solutions, driven by the need to avoid reliance on large, cloud-based environments.
"The demand for running AI on the edge is very strong, but the availability of edge AI solutions has been limited," Dr. Reiner stated, emphasizing Procero's commitment to enhancing the capability of edge devices to handle more complex AI use cases with greater performance.
Procero sees strong potential across several vertical markets, including advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, network intelligence, telecom-based edge computing, smart mobility, and healthcare. Dr. Reiner pointed out healthcare as a key area where edge AI solutions are crucial due to privacy regulations.
Strategic partnerships across the AI ecosystem
Procero is actively seeking to collaborate with key players across the AI technology ecosystem. This includes:
*Semiconductor companies: Procero aims to partner with companies producing NPUs, GPUs, or TPUs, particularly those focused on edge devices for AI PCs, AI-enabled mobile devices, and IoT devices. Procero's software solution can significantly expand the capability to run AI applications on these systems.
*Device OEMs: Procero also targets device Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that integrate semiconductor and memory technology into finished products like IoT devices, mobile phones, and laptops. The company offers its software to enhance AI capabilities at the device level.
*Application vendors: Recognizing the importance of application-specific AI implementations, Procero seeks to collaborate with vendors developing AI-driven applications such as chatbots, image generation, and video generation for various devices. Procero's edge-optimized inference engine can be embedded within these applications to improve performance.
Early success and strong IP moat
Founded at the end of 2023, Procero has quickly advanced from its R&D phase to having its first commercially available product and is engaging with major companies. The company was founded within a venture lab in Montreal called Tandem Launch, and its technology is based on intellectual property licensed from leading university research institutions as well as additional IP developed within the company.
Procero has a strong IP moat with multiple families of issued patents and ongoing patent applications. Dr. Reiner believes this robust IP protection differentiates Procero and safeguards its innovations.
Experienced leadership team
Procero boasts a strong leadership team, including CEO Audrey Larocque, who brings extensive experience in venture-backed companies and fundraising, and CTO Dr. Vahe Vardanyan, a seasoned AI expert with over a decade of experience, including a background at one of Canada's leading government research AI institutions and Ubisoft. The team also includes VP of Engineering François Painchaud, who has led engineering teams at companies like Autodesk, Epic Games, and Unity Technologies.
Impact of DeepSeek and AI advancements
The emergence of models like DeepSeek has brought both excitement and controversy to the AI field. While acknowledging the concerns around the training process of DeepSeek, Dr. Reiner highlighted the novel techniques it introduced that have led to efficiency gains.
"They did introduce a number of novel techniques that lead to gains in efficiency," Dr. Reiner noted, adding that these techniques are being adopted by various organizations.
Dr. Reiner confirmed that Procero's inference engine is compatible with and enhances the performance of models like DeepSeek, demonstrating its adaptability and value in the evolving AI landscape.
Business model and future vision
Procero's business model centers around licensing its technology to companies who will bundle it with their products, including software solutions, devices, and applications. While licensing terms are currently negotiated on a case-by-case basis, Procero is working to establish replicable formulas.
Looking ahead, Procero is focused on expanding its hardware platform coverage, optimizing its technology for new processor designs, and increasing its support for various AI model types. The company is also committed to growing its team with top-tier talent and is open to establishing R&D centers globally.
With a clear vision and a strong technological foundation, Procero is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for edge AI solutions and drive innovation in the AI era.
Procero inference engine solution for edge AI. Credit: Procero
Benefits of Procero inference engine for edge AI. Credit: Procero
The architecture of the Procero inference engine for edge AI. Credit: Procero
Article edited by Jack Wu