Transcript
1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:05,679
Think a lot of companies or investors would
like to replicate the process that you went
2
00:00:05,679 --> 00:00:09,199
about identifying new markets and executing
against that.
3
00:00:09,199 --> 00:00:10,559
Talk me through the process.
4
00:00:10,559 --> 00:00:16,375
How did you gather the intelligence and the
data in order to repurpose your technology?
5
00:00:16,515 --> 00:00:23,414
Paying attention to what your customers are
saying very closely, paying attention to mega
6
00:00:23,475 --> 00:00:25,314
trends going on in the world.
7
00:00:25,314 --> 00:00:31,650
So folks who maybe your customers, maybe not
your customers today, but, are they gonna be
8
00:00:31,650 --> 00:00:33,170
potentially your customers down the line?
9
00:00:33,170 --> 00:00:39,649
So listening to these massive mega trends and
knowing that you're going to intersect the
10
00:00:39,649 --> 00:00:44,795
world, and the puck where it will go to, not
where it is today.
11
00:00:45,414 --> 00:00:51,494
I think that that's a key element to trying to
position your company for where the world is
12
00:00:51,494 --> 00:00:52,475
emerging into.
13
00:00:53,015 --> 00:00:54,634
Otherwise, you just miss the boat.
14
00:00:57,259 --> 00:00:59,200
So what is Akash Systems?
15
00:00:59,500 --> 00:01:06,159
Akash Systems is a company that uses synthetic
diamond to cool down microchips.
16
00:01:07,180 --> 00:01:12,405
These are microchips that are so powerful that
we are able to do things like, what chat gbt
17
00:01:12,405 --> 00:01:15,364
does or what a satellite does.
18
00:01:15,364 --> 00:01:16,805
Very powerful electronics.
19
00:01:16,805 --> 00:01:23,204
We're able to use synthetic diamond to cool
them down, and make them perform much, much
20
00:01:23,204 --> 00:01:24,344
better than otherwise.
21
00:01:24,805 --> 00:01:29,579
And And when I say much better, I'm talking
about in terms of raw power or efficiency.
22
00:01:30,439 --> 00:01:32,539
We've picked 2 products to start.
23
00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:39,179
1 is the AI server, the types of systems that
use GPUs, which you may have heard about.
24
00:01:39,395 --> 00:01:41,975
And then we have also picked satellite radios.
25
00:01:42,594 --> 00:01:48,594
These are very, very effective satellite
communication systems that beam down from
26
00:01:48,594 --> 00:01:56,290
space, data such as you might see in your GPU,
your your GPS system when you pull up Google
27
00:01:56,290 --> 00:01:58,950
Maps to navigate your your your drive.
28
00:01:59,650 --> 00:02:01,490
We grow diamonds in the lab.
29
00:02:01,490 --> 00:02:07,734
These are synthetic diamond materials, and we
use these diamond materials to cool down these
30
00:02:07,734 --> 00:02:08,235
chips.
31
00:02:08,534 --> 00:02:12,875
How much of the cost of a server chip has to do
with heat and power?
32
00:02:13,335 --> 00:02:14,135
Oh my god.
33
00:02:14,694 --> 00:02:15,495
Most of it.
34
00:02:15,495 --> 00:02:23,870
So in a typical data center, for example,
something like 40% of the cost of operating a
35
00:02:23,870 --> 00:02:30,830
data center, which is essentially a very large
warehouse collection of servers, 40% of the
36
00:02:30,830 --> 00:02:38,064
operating cost monthly is cooling, air
conditioning, trying to reduce that heat.
37
00:02:38,764 --> 00:02:42,305
Similarly, in your your something as small as
your iPhone.
38
00:02:43,164 --> 00:02:48,689
I've seen some pretty crazy numbers thrown out
there in terms of market size for for data
39
00:02:48,689 --> 00:02:51,510
centers, data warehouses, chips.
40
00:02:51,730 --> 00:02:55,349
How do you quantify the opportunity set for
investors?
41
00:02:56,050 --> 00:03:02,230
We estimate our market size to be anywhere from
200 to about $400,000,000,000.
42
00:03:04,245 --> 00:03:11,305
Keep in mind that we sell servers as well as
satellite communication systems and a radio,
43
00:03:11,685 --> 00:03:16,724
that fits into a satellite about the size of a
of an iPhone, maybe twice the size of an
44
00:03:16,724 --> 00:03:17,224
iPhone.
45
00:03:18,110 --> 00:03:21,810
These systems sell for 100 of 1,000 of dollars
per unit.
46
00:03:22,349 --> 00:03:29,550
And so we estimate that our market is on the
order of, 2 to $400,000,000,000, just looking
47
00:03:29,550 --> 00:03:30,689
at those two markets.
48
00:03:31,465 --> 00:03:36,185
There are other markets which we haven't
started to address today but are in our road
49
00:03:36,185 --> 00:03:44,125
map, such as you might have in EVs, electronic
vehicles, such as in smartphones, communication
50
00:03:44,344 --> 00:03:50,080
systems, and not just in the phone but also in
the base stations that route the calls from
51
00:03:50,379 --> 00:03:51,360
phone to phone.
52
00:03:51,500 --> 00:03:55,919
And then, of course, in radar systems, which is
used in in defense.
53
00:03:56,939 --> 00:04:04,425
It's a radar is a kind of listening device that
depends heavily on the kinds of cooling, chips
54
00:04:04,425 --> 00:04:05,784
that we that we make.
55
00:04:05,784 --> 00:04:08,344
You just received $65,000,000 from the Chip
Hacks.
56
00:04:08,344 --> 00:04:08,844
Congratulations.
57
00:04:09,064 --> 00:04:10,425
Tell me a little bit about that.
58
00:04:10,425 --> 00:04:10,905
Thank you.
59
00:04:10,905 --> 00:04:11,944
We're excited about it.
60
00:04:12,104 --> 00:04:18,019
So we just received $68,000,000 in chips
funding from the government, the Department of
61
00:04:18,019 --> 00:04:26,180
Commerce's Chips and Science Act and the
funding is coming to us to help us scale, scale
62
00:04:26,180 --> 00:04:32,444
our manufacturing and assembly of our products,
namely the ones I just mentioned, the servers,
63
00:04:32,444 --> 00:04:36,944
the DiamondCool servers as well as the
satellite radio systems.
64
00:04:37,725 --> 00:04:43,644
This funding will help us set up a plant, a
semiconductor fab and assembly house in
65
00:04:43,644 --> 00:04:51,349
Oakland, and just help us scale in terms of
getting space, equipment, hiring people, and
66
00:04:51,349 --> 00:04:53,610
doing so as fast as possible.
67
00:04:54,550 --> 00:04:57,029
This is, this is nontrivial to do.
68
00:04:57,029 --> 00:04:59,654
There is a race right now to scale.
69
00:04:59,714 --> 00:05:07,955
All of us who are manufacturing gear in in, in
in tech, have a challenge in in trying to
70
00:05:07,955 --> 00:05:11,475
scale, and this funding helps us address that.
71
00:05:11,475 --> 00:05:17,129
We just received as well a large customer order
for, for servers.
72
00:05:17,189 --> 00:05:25,370
We've seen bipartisan calls for onshore and
critical technologies in the US and not to rely
73
00:05:25,430 --> 00:05:28,250
on foreign countries or foreign adversaries.
74
00:05:29,435 --> 00:05:31,115
Tell me a little bit about the Chips Act.
75
00:05:31,115 --> 00:05:36,875
Was that part of that effort, or is this, just
a totally unrelated trend that you're seeing in
76
00:05:36,875 --> 00:05:37,435
the market?
77
00:05:37,595 --> 00:05:43,115
The Chips Act is absolutely connected to the
bipartisan effort to try to bring back to the
78
00:05:43,115 --> 00:05:46,560
US manufacturing and assembly of
semiconductors.
79
00:05:47,579 --> 00:05:54,939
We are extremely excited about that effort,
because the Chips Act helps us, not only, bring
80
00:05:54,939 --> 00:06:00,225
back manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing
to the US, but also shores up our national
81
00:06:00,225 --> 00:06:00,725
defenses.
82
00:06:01,024 --> 00:06:01,425
Okay?
83
00:06:01,425 --> 00:06:08,705
So being able to make your own semiconductors,
the thing that powers all defense equipments is
84
00:06:08,705 --> 00:06:11,845
an essential part of a country's national
security.
85
00:06:12,410 --> 00:06:19,709
And we view our work, to be very, very vital
and central to that national security strategy.
86
00:06:20,410 --> 00:06:26,669
It helps us in securing our supply chain, for
all of our nation's major and critical
87
00:06:26,729 --> 00:06:27,229
economies.
88
00:06:28,084 --> 00:06:33,604
We will never again have to depend on other
countries, certainly not our adversaries, to
89
00:06:33,604 --> 00:06:40,245
make the things that we need, and and making,
these semiconductor chips and materials in
90
00:06:40,245 --> 00:06:42,504
Oakland is central to that.
91
00:06:43,420 --> 00:06:46,540
This is also a question of our economic
security.
92
00:06:46,540 --> 00:06:47,500
We're building jobs.
93
00:06:47,500 --> 00:06:54,240
We're going to hire hundreds of people in on
the order of 4 to 500, new people in Oakland,
94
00:06:54,939 --> 00:06:56,720
over the next 4 to 5 years.
95
00:06:57,384 --> 00:07:02,824
These are all things that every American, is
excited about, certainly on both sides of the
96
00:07:02,824 --> 00:07:03,324
aisle.
97
00:07:04,024 --> 00:07:09,004
And I should say that, the hiring we're doing
is going beyond California.
98
00:07:09,144 --> 00:07:13,610
We have a site in Texas that will benefit from
this as well.
99
00:07:13,829 --> 00:07:16,470
And you mentioned the space is really heating
up.
100
00:07:16,470 --> 00:07:19,529
Obviously, there's a lot of demand from AI
companies.
101
00:07:19,910 --> 00:07:23,269
Who are your biggest competitors, and how are
you guys differentiating against those
102
00:07:23,269 --> 00:07:23,769
companies?
103
00:07:24,365 --> 00:07:33,644
In the area of sort of high powered, highly
cooled, high efficiency servers, I don't think
104
00:07:33,644 --> 00:07:41,829
that we have any competitor, at this point,
certainly someone who we have to, worry about
105
00:07:41,829 --> 00:07:45,930
in terms of performance, in any conversation
with a customer.
106
00:07:45,990 --> 00:07:52,649
So far, we always win because of the the
performance that we bring to bear.
107
00:07:52,855 --> 00:07:57,415
Just to illustrate that example of how diamond
is so effective, we do this in front of
108
00:07:57,415 --> 00:07:57,915
customers.
109
00:07:58,134 --> 00:08:02,375
Every time since we do it, you know, people
just sort of light up even before we show how
110
00:08:02,375 --> 00:08:03,435
the server performs.
111
00:08:03,654 --> 00:08:10,550
If you don't mind, I'd like to show you how
diamond works, by by moving heat as rapidly as
112
00:08:10,550 --> 00:08:11,050
possible.
113
00:08:11,430 --> 00:08:16,550
This is a piece of this is a piece of diamond,
that we've grown in the lab.
114
00:08:16,870 --> 00:08:18,569
It's about half a millimeter.
115
00:08:19,029 --> 00:08:19,529
Absolutely.
116
00:08:20,834 --> 00:08:22,375
Very, very thermally conductive.
117
00:08:22,595 --> 00:08:28,055
Five times more thermally conductive than the
next best material in nature that being copper.
118
00:08:28,595 --> 00:08:35,174
I'm gonna show you, some ice cubes, and the ice
obviously is cold.
119
00:08:35,490 --> 00:08:37,330
My hand is naturally warm.
120
00:08:37,330 --> 00:08:38,389
My body temperature.
121
00:08:38,690 --> 00:08:46,370
I'm gonna hold this ice and you're gonna watch
as it slices into this ice cube as if it were
122
00:08:46,370 --> 00:08:46,870
butter.
123
00:08:47,009 --> 00:08:49,330
And my fingers are gonna feel so cold.
124
00:08:49,330 --> 00:08:53,295
You can't tell but I can I can tell you that
that's what I will feel?
125
00:08:53,295 --> 00:09:00,835
But what you will see is the diamonds moving
heat from my fingers into the ice cube rapidly,
126
00:09:00,894 --> 00:09:04,654
and that'll just be and you'll see that because
it just goes right in like butter.
127
00:09:04,654 --> 00:09:07,720
I don't know if you can see it, but, yeah, it's
going right in.
128
00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:09,159
I just sliced it right there.
129
00:09:09,159 --> 00:09:11,339
I'll do this other one here as you can see.
130
00:09:12,279 --> 00:09:17,399
So there's some thermodynamic factors coming
into play here.
131
00:09:17,399 --> 00:09:24,335
So there's a transfer of heat from your fingers
to the to the ice and from your ice to your
132
00:09:24,335 --> 00:09:26,355
fingers with the diamond being a conductor?
133
00:09:26,894 --> 00:09:27,695
That is correct.
134
00:09:27,695 --> 00:09:33,134
And that's exactly the feature that we bring to
bear in a server in a diamond cool server,
135
00:09:33,134 --> 00:09:34,419
which which we sell.
136
00:09:34,419 --> 00:09:39,299
And, again, we're making a very big
announcement next week, a big order, a massive
137
00:09:39,299 --> 00:09:45,399
order from a customer, one of the biggest,
cloud, AI, compute companies in the world.
138
00:09:46,304 --> 00:09:49,524
And this feature is what is making that
possible.
139
00:09:50,225 --> 00:09:55,524
Explain exactly, how that works within a server
or within a chip.
140
00:09:55,585 --> 00:10:01,679
So we take this diamond, and, and the diamond
the the features of the diamond, the way we we
141
00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:06,480
grow the diamonds, the dimensions of the
diamond are all proprietary, and we use
142
00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:10,259
proprietary adhesives, and we apply it to the
GPU.
143
00:10:11,125 --> 00:10:11,365
Okay.
144
00:10:11,365 --> 00:10:17,125
So just like you saw with the diamond touching
the ice, the diamond is is is on top of the
145
00:10:17,125 --> 00:10:18,985
GPU, the main heat source.
146
00:10:19,445 --> 00:10:22,825
We also do the same thing with other chips in
the server.
147
00:10:23,205 --> 00:10:28,389
And because of that, because you have the
diamond, being such a great thermal conductor,
148
00:10:28,610 --> 00:10:34,470
it is able to spread the heat and reduce the
temperature of the server.
149
00:10:34,769 --> 00:10:40,945
You reduce the temperature of the server, it
means that your fans or your liquid cooling do
150
00:10:40,945 --> 00:10:43,184
not have to work as hard.
151
00:10:43,184 --> 00:10:47,044
The burden on those cooling systems is greatly
reduced.
152
00:10:47,345 --> 00:10:53,240
In fact, we have found that we're able to
reduce the electricity going into the fan, the
153
00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:54,779
cooling system by 90%.
154
00:10:55,639 --> 00:11:01,639
This is money going straight to the operators
of the data centers, the folks who are paying
155
00:11:01,639 --> 00:11:02,539
the light bill.
156
00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:09,445
If you are doing inference work, it means you
can overclock the GPU a lot faster.
157
00:11:09,445 --> 00:11:11,065
You can get more clock cycles.
158
00:11:11,445 --> 00:11:18,245
You can train your models faster, all because
we're able to, by thermal conduction, extract
159
00:11:18,245 --> 00:11:25,740
the heat directly from the GPU to the diamond,
and then to whatever liquid cooling or other
160
00:11:25,740 --> 00:11:28,480
fan cooling systems that you may have in the
server.
161
00:11:29,820 --> 00:11:33,339
And we do this demonstration for for customers
all the time.
162
00:11:33,339 --> 00:11:35,200
We just had the US election.
163
00:11:35,259 --> 00:11:39,415
There's been a lot of exuberance in different
parts of the tech ecosystem.
164
00:11:40,355 --> 00:11:45,495
From business perspective, how does that
practically affect Akash and your business?
165
00:11:45,555 --> 00:11:52,480
We were very excited because as far as we are
concerned, the things that we we extol, the
166
00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:57,039
virtues of our business, the fundamentals of
our business have benefits that apply to all
167
00:11:57,039 --> 00:12:02,559
Americans regardless of your political lenient,
whether you're on the left or on the right,
168
00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:08,475
middle, if you're pro business, pro jobs,
whatever you may feel, we think that, there is
169
00:12:08,475 --> 00:12:16,095
universal appeal for our commercial security,
our national security for creating jobs,
170
00:12:16,799 --> 00:12:22,960
bringing manufacturing back to the United
States so that it is not outsourced to our
171
00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:24,899
adversaries in in China.
172
00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:31,095
There is universal appeal, and we have just
received nothing but support from from everyone
173
00:12:31,095 --> 00:12:32,394
who's heard our message.
174
00:12:32,855 --> 00:12:38,695
Folks who saw that we won the Chips Act have
sent in, very positive support to us, and we're
175
00:12:38,695 --> 00:12:39,654
excited about that.
176
00:12:39,654 --> 00:12:46,960
I invested in 2019 in the series a, and then
you guys had a tough time between 2020 and
177
00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:47,460
2022.
178
00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:49,519
You did another round at that point.
179
00:12:49,519 --> 00:12:52,419
I'm I'm very glad I reinvested then.
180
00:12:52,639 --> 00:12:56,340
But tell me about those times, and how did that
affect the organization?
181
00:12:56,834 --> 00:12:57,875
Those were tough times.
182
00:12:58,115 --> 00:13:03,434
I think it was, those were the COVID years,
very difficult for everyone in the country.
183
00:13:03,434 --> 00:13:07,794
I think other than the handful of businesses,
this was something that every country, every
184
00:13:07,794 --> 00:13:10,294
company had to had to grapple with.
185
00:13:10,629 --> 00:13:16,709
And the thing about these tough times, times of
correction is that it forces everyone to step
186
00:13:16,709 --> 00:13:18,409
back and think about your fundamentals.
187
00:13:19,269 --> 00:13:24,490
Do you have a distinctive technology or product
that makes you stand out?
188
00:13:26,245 --> 00:13:32,004
These quiet times as I call them, enable
companies to slow down and and get back to
189
00:13:32,004 --> 00:13:32,504
basics.
190
00:13:32,965 --> 00:13:34,504
What is your business plan?
191
00:13:34,644 --> 00:13:38,184
And that's what, the COVID years enabled us to
do.
192
00:13:38,750 --> 00:13:44,909
We've been focused on literally making our
products for space even stronger, and we're
193
00:13:44,909 --> 00:13:46,210
gonna see some launches.
194
00:13:46,669 --> 00:13:51,470
Several companies are launching our satellites
with our radios in in January, just a few weeks
195
00:13:51,470 --> 00:13:52,450
from now in April.
196
00:13:52,715 --> 00:13:58,315
But also, we started to extend our products
technologies into new markets, chief among
197
00:13:58,315 --> 00:14:00,815
them, AI and data centers.
198
00:14:01,115 --> 00:14:06,715
That wouldn't have it wouldn't have happened
had it not been for the quiet time afforded by
199
00:14:06,715 --> 00:14:07,855
the COVID years.
200
00:14:08,350 --> 00:14:09,149
That's what we did.
201
00:14:09,149 --> 00:14:14,750
We step back, in a very disciplined way,
develop some very new applications of our
202
00:14:14,750 --> 00:14:21,615
technology, went into the new markets that we
could see coming down the pike, AI, and and
203
00:14:21,615 --> 00:14:27,375
that's enabled us to to launch the products,
just a few weeks ago and to now sign this large
204
00:14:27,375 --> 00:14:32,175
contract with a with a major compute company,
that we'll be announcing next week.
205
00:14:32,175 --> 00:14:40,039
I believe that organisms, when dealt with any
kind of issues, either become antifragile or
206
00:14:40,039 --> 00:14:40,539
die.
207
00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:42,700
You're basically either growing or dying.
208
00:14:43,399 --> 00:14:47,100
How did that affect Akash Systems as an
organization?
209
00:14:47,514 --> 00:14:55,034
I think that it affects organizations, either
positively or negatively depending on those
210
00:14:55,034 --> 00:14:58,095
basic business plan questions that I I listed.
211
00:14:58,235 --> 00:14:58,735
K?
212
00:14:58,794 --> 00:15:05,419
So I think that, in in tough times, if you're
not able to answer those fundamental business
213
00:15:05,419 --> 00:15:13,179
one zero one questions of is there something
very distinctive that has a 10 x, value
214
00:15:13,179 --> 00:15:19,434
proposition over competitors that you have, is
there a significant market size for that
215
00:15:19,434 --> 00:15:20,815
distinction that you have?
216
00:15:21,115 --> 00:15:26,095
I mean, you know, this like, you know, 100 of
1,000,000,000 of dollars in in market size.
217
00:15:26,954 --> 00:15:32,470
Are you the very best team on the planet poised
to deliver that distinction?
218
00:15:33,970 --> 00:15:38,870
If you're not able to answer these questions
favorably, then I think you will struggle.
219
00:15:39,409 --> 00:15:43,350
If you do, then I think you have some very good
years ahead.
220
00:15:43,809 --> 00:15:50,485
I think I've we've looked at I read this,
recently how a lot of our great businesses
221
00:15:50,625 --> 00:15:56,485
today were were born out of the tough times
we've had when there's a correction.
222
00:15:57,024 --> 00:16:03,399
The corrections of exactly exactly, that's
usually the time when there's just a mental
223
00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:09,480
there's mental space for people to just think
calmly about big opportunities and and the in
224
00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:11,420
these fundamental questions I I described.
225
00:16:12,024 --> 00:16:14,584
Otherwise, when there's just a lot of euphoria
and hysteria
226
00:16:14,985 --> 00:16:15,485
Recessions.
227
00:16:16,105 --> 00:16:22,184
And there's a lot of slush money going around,
it's easy for, that type of hysteria to fund
228
00:16:22,184 --> 00:16:27,759
everything, and then these questions aren't
really answered in a very disciplined way.
229
00:16:28,059 --> 00:16:32,059
What what would Akash Systems be if that bull
market kept on going?
230
00:16:32,059 --> 00:16:33,980
Would would just be the wrong business?
231
00:16:33,980 --> 00:16:35,580
Would it just be one product?
232
00:16:35,580 --> 00:16:38,235
Like, what would have happened if there was no
correction?
233
00:16:38,394 --> 00:16:43,995
If there's no correction, we were probably,
would have gone further with the space business
234
00:16:43,995 --> 00:16:49,774
and maybe, the AI might have been pushed out a
bit more into the future.
235
00:16:50,154 --> 00:16:55,379
Perhaps the world as we know it wouldn't have
leaned in.
236
00:16:55,379 --> 00:16:59,000
I think AI was gonna happen no matter what, but
maybe a little bit more pushed out.
237
00:16:59,059 --> 00:17:05,539
I think that the, it's possible that the
inspiration for the chips act wouldn't be
238
00:17:05,539 --> 00:17:09,945
there, possibly this desire and belief to step
back.
239
00:17:09,945 --> 00:17:10,105
Hey.
240
00:17:10,105 --> 00:17:11,785
Let's shore up our supply chain.
241
00:17:11,785 --> 00:17:17,884
Let's not be dependent on everyone in the world
for our very vital, microchips.
242
00:17:18,105 --> 00:17:24,470
I think that that those, those questions would
have been answered in a different way.
243
00:17:24,470 --> 00:17:26,069
And, Akash, we would have evolved.
244
00:17:26,069 --> 00:17:28,650
I mean, we have some very smart people in our
management team.
245
00:17:28,710 --> 00:17:34,710
And throughout the company, I think we would
have answered the questions, well, given the
246
00:17:34,710 --> 00:17:37,450
circumstances that the world presents to us.
247
00:17:37,795 --> 00:17:43,315
Think a lot of companies or investors would
like to replicate the process that you went
248
00:17:43,315 --> 00:17:47,015
about identifying new markets and executing
against that.
249
00:17:47,474 --> 00:17:48,835
Talk me through the process.
250
00:17:48,835 --> 00:17:55,129
How did you gather the intelligence and the
data in order to repurpose your technology?
251
00:17:55,429 --> 00:18:02,409
Paying attention to what your customers are
saying very closely, paying attention to mega
252
00:18:02,470 --> 00:18:04,230
trends going on in the world.
253
00:18:04,230 --> 00:18:10,105
So the folks who may be your customers, maybe
not quite your customers today, but, are they
254
00:18:10,105 --> 00:18:12,184
gonna be potentially your customers down the
line?
255
00:18:12,184 --> 00:18:18,744
So listening to these massive mega trends and
knowing that you're going to intersect the
256
00:18:18,744 --> 00:18:25,619
world, and the puck where it will go to not
where it is today, I think that that's a key
257
00:18:25,619 --> 00:18:31,399
element to trying to position your company for
where the world is emerging into.
258
00:18:31,940 --> 00:18:33,639
Otherwise, you just missed the boat.
259
00:18:34,259 --> 00:18:38,899
I think having an amazingly talented people
around you, people that are even smarter than
260
00:18:38,899 --> 00:18:41,904
you in the things that you want to do is
essential.
261
00:18:42,365 --> 00:18:47,884
I have an amazing team around me, Ty and Dan
and Pimmy.
262
00:18:47,884 --> 00:18:52,650
These are brilliant folks who are extremely
good at what they do, and we're constantly
263
00:18:52,710 --> 00:18:55,369
challenging ourselves, asking ourselves the
right questions.
264
00:18:55,990 --> 00:19:02,950
My VCs, Khosla and Kearny Jackson, Founders
Fund, these are are brilliant folks who just
265
00:19:02,950 --> 00:19:07,934
have been very helpful to us in making us
making sure that we we answer the questions in
266
00:19:07,934 --> 00:19:14,654
the right way and that we steer clear of of,
the potholes that can oftentimes sink a company
267
00:19:14,654 --> 00:19:17,534
that's trying to evolve out of some very
difficult times.
268
00:19:17,534 --> 00:19:22,190
I mean, we essentially the world had a force
majeure events, you know, an event that sank
269
00:19:22,569 --> 00:19:25,470
most companies, most series a companies in the
world.
270
00:19:25,690 --> 00:19:29,849
And to navigate that, you need some amazingly
talented people, and luckily, we had that
271
00:19:29,849 --> 00:19:30,650
around the table.
272
00:19:30,650 --> 00:19:34,829
There's this repeated concept in venture
capital that you have to be nonconsensus.
273
00:19:35,289 --> 00:19:35,789
Right?
274
00:19:36,404 --> 00:19:43,945
I think a lot of the times, people don't really
think about how painful mentally, economically
275
00:19:44,164 --> 00:19:47,305
could be to be nonconsensus for several years.
276
00:19:47,924 --> 00:19:50,839
How are you guys able to kind of go against the
grain?
277
00:19:50,900 --> 00:19:55,880
And walk me through those difficult years where
the market had not yet come to.
278
00:19:56,419 --> 00:20:05,515
As the founder have to have conviction and
belief, in in in in fundamentals and in your
279
00:20:05,515 --> 00:20:08,494
core, of of your value proposition.
280
00:20:09,275 --> 00:20:11,855
If you don't have that, then nothing else
matters.
281
00:20:13,355 --> 00:20:22,070
You know, running with the herd is, can be
great when the herd is right in good times.
282
00:20:22,130 --> 00:20:30,230
But when times are tough, then I think having
that contrarian view is what can, can give
283
00:20:30,609 --> 00:20:36,654
lasting value, you know, because it's, you
know, when everyone's moving left and you see
284
00:20:36,654 --> 00:20:40,414
opportunity by turning right, that's when you
can make some serious bets.
285
00:20:40,414 --> 00:20:44,174
And it's interesting because there are
different types of personalities I find, you
286
00:20:44,174 --> 00:20:48,420
know, and the types of, you know, engineers,
smart people, PhDs that we interview, they're
287
00:20:48,420 --> 00:20:52,200
the folks who always are thinking of solutions.
288
00:20:52,420 --> 00:20:53,080
You know?
289
00:20:53,140 --> 00:20:56,200
It, you know, it doesn't matter what problem
they're faced with.
290
00:20:56,259 --> 00:21:01,575
Their instinct is to have ideas for for for
moving forward for solving the problem.
291
00:21:01,794 --> 00:21:08,914
And then there are folks I find who have an
instinct for, identifying the pitfalls, the
292
00:21:08,914 --> 00:21:11,014
problems lurking around the corner.
293
00:21:12,009 --> 00:21:12,329
Yes.
294
00:21:12,329 --> 00:21:18,329
There's a big opportunity here but look at the
25 things that prevent others from achieving
295
00:21:18,329 --> 00:21:18,730
that.
296
00:21:18,730 --> 00:21:22,990
So let's not lose sight of these and I always
want both at the table.
297
00:21:23,414 --> 00:21:30,695
I especially want the people who see those
those risky, hurdles lurking around the things
298
00:21:30,695 --> 00:21:32,775
that are uncomfortable to talk about.
299
00:21:32,775 --> 00:21:38,559
We may not wanna fess up to them and it's just
a a party pooper to bring up those issues when
300
00:21:38,559 --> 00:21:40,500
there's so much euphoria about an opportunity.
301
00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:45,859
I always want everyone at the table and and
that nothing because you know what?
302
00:21:48,319 --> 00:21:54,035
We are the most successful when we address
every problem in hardware engineering,
303
00:21:54,255 --> 00:21:57,075
electrical engineering, and and and and
physics.
304
00:21:58,095 --> 00:22:03,375
Problems don't just vanish unless you fess up
to them and deal with them head on.
305
00:22:03,375 --> 00:22:04,835
They will be there forever.
306
00:22:05,419 --> 00:22:11,980
So, yeah, we just have to you know, if if these
problems are not being talked about, I get
307
00:22:11,980 --> 00:22:12,480
worried.
308
00:22:12,619 --> 00:22:18,700
There's some kind of healthy mix of optimism
and pessimism you need on every team.
309
00:22:18,700 --> 00:22:24,115
You need the entrepreneurs that see the ideal
how things could be, and then you need as a
310
00:22:24,115 --> 00:22:26,835
second step, ideally, you need somebody to say,
yeah.
311
00:22:26,835 --> 00:22:31,414
But here are the different things that we need
to hear the landmines to avoid so that we could
312
00:22:31,474 --> 00:22:32,775
actualize that future.
313
00:22:33,190 --> 00:22:33,690
Yes.
314
00:22:34,549 --> 00:22:35,049
Yes.
315
00:22:35,350 --> 00:22:37,210
That's I totally agree with that.
316
00:22:37,350 --> 00:22:38,170
You need both.
317
00:22:38,390 --> 00:22:39,930
What what's next for Akash?
318
00:22:41,029 --> 00:22:44,470
We've got a lot on our plate coming up in the
weeks ahead.
319
00:22:44,630 --> 00:22:46,890
We're announcing this big order next week.
320
00:22:48,134 --> 00:22:52,315
We're going to there's a bunch of satellites
going up with our radios in January.
321
00:22:53,734 --> 00:22:56,795
We will start shipping the servers in q one.
322
00:22:56,855 --> 00:23:00,154
There's another bunch of satellites going up
with our radios in April.
323
00:23:00,980 --> 00:23:08,840
I think that next year, we are on pace to have,
probably one of the fastest growing company
324
00:23:10,660 --> 00:23:17,724
curves, in in a very long time, and I can't I
can't even begin to imagine what 2026 might
325
00:23:17,724 --> 00:23:18,384
look like.
326
00:23:19,085 --> 00:23:21,644
But it's just all about execution right now.
327
00:23:21,644 --> 00:23:27,984
It's, you know, go go go go go, build up as
many servers as possible for this AI
328
00:23:28,660 --> 00:23:33,720
exponentially growing market that we see and
then starting to get some space hardware,
329
00:23:34,339 --> 00:23:35,960
assets in in space.
330
00:23:37,539 --> 00:23:39,299
That's that's the future for us.
331
00:23:39,380 --> 00:23:45,705
I think that we see a place, a world where
Akash could become the world's preeminent high
332
00:23:45,705 --> 00:23:49,065
end server company in AI, period.
333
00:23:49,065 --> 00:23:51,545
I think that that's well within within our
grasp.
334
00:23:51,545 --> 00:23:54,125
But, obviously, if you should, I'm talking
about, like, the next 12 months.
335
00:23:54,336 --> 00:23:54,656
Okay?
336
00:23:54,816 --> 00:23:56,816
So those are exciting things to look forward
to.
337
00:23:56,816 --> 00:24:00,996
This has been great, and it's great to catch up
and always inspiring to talk to you, Felix.
338
00:24:01,376 --> 00:24:01,936
Thank you.
339
00:24:01,936 --> 00:24:03,716
Look forward to sitting down soon.
340
00:24:04,016 --> 00:24:04,516
Cheers.
