In the dynamic and ever-evolving tech landscape, serial entrepreneur and renowned chip investor Avigdor Willenz has once again made headlines by laying the foundation for a new venture that promises to revolutionize the AI chip industry. Named Touch, this stealth-mode startup is the brainchild of Willenz and his trusted former colleagues from Habana Labs. With a legacy of unprecedented success, the team’s past ventures hint at the potential for another monumental breakthrough in the tech world.
The inception of Touch brings back together a formidable team comprising CEO David Dahan and VP of Development Ran Halutz, alongside Willenz. Their collective journey began with the creation of Habana Labs, a graphic processor development entity that conquered new heights when it was acquired by Intel for a staggering $2 billion in 2019. Recently, amidst a series of executive shifts driven by Intel’s integration of Habana Labs into its broader operations, Dahan and Halutz, who had sustained their presence post-acquisition, decided to embark on this new venture.
With an initial burst of capital fueling their journey, sourced from their personal coffers and the support of Willenz’s American compatriot, Manuel Alba, they’ve initiated their next chapter. Known for his history of successful ventures, including Galileo, Willenz’s first major exit, Alba’s backing is testament to the potential they see in Touch. While temporarily christened Element Labs, the founders have a preference for the name Touch, an indicator of their vision’s tangible impact.
The decision to set the startup’s temporary headquarters at the prestigious Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv is not merely a logistical choice but a strategic one, considering it houses the Arnon Tadmor-Levy law firm, which oversees Willenz’s business interests in Israel. Despite Willenz’s relocation to Switzerland, partly in protest against fiscal policies and governance in Israel, his commitment to investing in Israeli talent, albeit from a distance, remains unwavering. His ventures are a nod to his roots, typically sprouting from Israel’s northern silicon valleys like Yokneam, Haifa, and Caesarea.
But what exactly is Touch poised to offer the AI industry, a sector shrouded in secrecy and intense competition? Industry insiders speculate that the company is venturing into the realm of AI chips, specifically tailored for inference tasks. This crucial phase allows end-users to leverage previously trained AI engines, making every interaction, be it a query in ChatGPT or a command in Microsoft’s copilot, an application of inference. With the AI industry set to burgeon around inference operations, Touch is strategically positioning itself to capitalize on this growth, especially in the burgeoning field of small and localized data centers. This approach not only democratizes AI processing but also addresses the sustainability challenges by distributing the computational load.
The landscape of tech entrepreneurship is adorned with stories of visionaries who have reshaped industries with their innovative breakthroughs. Avigdor Willenz stands tall among these legends, a billionaire who etched his name into the annals of tech history with the sale of Galileo to Marvell Technologies for $2.7 billion. His ventures, from Pixer Technology sold to Carl Zeiss for $70 million, to Annapurna Labs’ acquisition by Amazon for $370 million, have not only yielded monumental returns but have also significantly contributed to the tech ecosystem, particularly in the AI domain.
Despite the recent integration of Habana Labs into Intel’s fold, a move that marked the end of its operational independence, the legacy of the processors developed under its banner continues. The Gaudi series, despite facing stiff competition, remains a testament to the innovative spirit that Willenz and his team have brought to the chip-making industry. As Touch sets its sights on the future, guided by this spirit, the tech world waits with bated breath for what could be the next big leap in AI processing.
No official comment has been provided by the founders of this promising startup, leaving much to the imagination and anticipation of what’s to come. Their track record, however, speaks volumes, hinting at the disruptive potential Touch holds within the AI chip sector.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on August 21, 2024.
As we look towards the future, the tale of Touch and its founders is a beacon of entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of pushing technological boundaries. In a world where technology is the linchpin of progress, ventures like Touch not only innovate solutions but inspire generations to dream, dare, and disrupt. The anticipation of Touch’s journey offers not just the promise of technological advancement but a continued faith in the power of human ingenuity to pave new paths and create the unthinkable. For more stories that capture the pulse of the tech world, visit DeFi Daily News.
