Next Unicorns: Unlocking the power of photonic computing with Lightmatter CEO Nick Harris | E1787
This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
4.2 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 2 August 2023
⏱️ 57 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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Today’s show:
Lightmatter CEO Nick Harris joins Jason to discuss how his startup is revolutionizing the future of computing with photonic chips (1:48), the challenges of building the next-generation AI hardware (18:35), and more!
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Time stamps:
(00:00) Lightmatter CEO Nick Harris joins Jason
(1:48) Photonic computing and the optic engines involved
(5:08) Lightmatter’s background and customer base
(9:24) The impact of this technology
(11:38) Carta - Get 10% off your first SPV at https://carta.com with promo code TWIST
(13:12) Catching up to demand and the endgame for process tech in semiconductors
(15:37) Using AI tools to build AI chips and the potential of data centers in space
(18:35) Fixing issues associated with advanced chips and supercomputers
(21:58) Eight Sleep - Go to https://eightsleep.com/twist to check out the Pod Cover and get $150 off at
checkout!
(23:30) Where we are on the path to AGI
(26:17) Nick’s background in quantum computing
(29:15) The LK-99 superconductor
(33:42) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://LinkedIn.com/unicorn
(34:58) Scientists gaining recognition and the app diversion
(40:17) LinkSquares CEO Vishal Sunak on going from $1M to $10M in ARR in 2 years
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Follow Nick: https://twitter.com/theanalognick
Check out Lightmatter: https://lightmatter.co
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I think what you're going to see from Light Matter over the next year and a half |
| 0:03.2 | is extreme volume on groundbreaking optical products and you know what I'm really aiming to do |
| 0:10.9 | with Light Matter ultimately is to build the photonics company. So if you think of the word |
| 0:14.9 | photonics, I want you to think of Light Matter ultimately and the way that's going to happen is |
| 0:18.9 | through the whole set of technologies that what we've developed can kind of be realized. |
| 0:24.1 | This week in startups is brought to you by CARDA now lets you launch and administer SPVs for your |
| 0:30.3 | syndicate. Share your knowledge, capital and network to launch your syndicate SPVs through CARDA. |
| 0:36.3 | Get 10% off your first SPV at CARDA.com slash twist with promo code twist. |
| 0:42.8 | 8-Sleep. Good sleep is the ultimate game changer. Now you can add the pod cover to any mattress. |
| 0:49.3 | Go to 8-Sleep.com slash twist to check out the pod cover and get 150 dollars off a checkout |
| 0:55.8 | and LinkedIn jobs. A business is only as strong as its people and every higher matters. |
| 1:01.9 | Post your first job for free at LinkedIn.com slash unicorn. |
| 1:07.2 | All right, listen everybody. AI is changing everything. A big part of that is what's been made |
| 1:13.5 | possible by GPUs, TPUs. All of this is powered by electric chips basically, right? That's a |
| 1:19.1 | standard for decades. We took sand. We made it into chips and we changed the world. But |
| 1:25.6 | electric signals. We all know that produces a bunch of heat, |
| 1:29.5 | cars cooling systems, but there's something called photonic computing and our guest today is at |
| 1:37.1 | the forefront of that and his name is Nick Harris and the company's name is Light Matter. Nick |
| 1:42.4 | welcome to the program. Hey good to meet you Jason and thanks for having us on the show. |
| 1:47.2 | Yeah, so tell me what is photonic computing because I am a neophyte in this. I'm aware of it, |
| 1:54.4 | but I don't really know the state of it and if it's actually competitive and when this will actually |
| 2:00.2 | be reaching people's desktops or servers. Yeah, so maybe I'll start with a little bit of a story |
... |
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