Participated · Series C · Oct 2021

Hailo, co-founded in 2017 by Orr Danon and Avi Baum, designs specialized processors to run AI workloads on edge devices. Its chips execute AI tasks with lower memory usage and power consumption than typical processors, targeting compact, offline and battery-powered devices such as cars, smart cameras and robotics. Hailo’s processors are used for object detection, semantic segmentation, image and video enhancement, and increasingly to run LLMs on edge devices including personal computers and infotainment electronic control units. The company says it has over 300 customers across automotive, security, retail, industrial automation, medical devices and defense, and employs around 250 people. It reports having $340 million in the bank; the recent capital is intended to enable Hailo to leverage opportunities in its pipeline and set the stage for long-term growth. Hailo and its leadership view growing demand for generative AI as further driving requests to process LLMs locally, supporting the company’s edge-focused expansion. Hailo designs AI chips and modules optimized for edge devices, targeting use cases such as smart cities, retail, industrial settings and next-generation automotive systems. Its Hailo 8 chip and accompanying modules are built to adapt to existing hardware and run custom neural networks with high efficiency and low energy use. The company supports common frameworks like TensorFlow and ONNX and is investing in software to broaden its offerings beyond hardware. Hailo has seen a surge in demand across multiple sectors, doubling the number of projects it is working on to about 100 in the last quarter. While some segments such as full autonomous vehicles have softened, demand overall has continued to rise and semi-autonomous and other deployments still translate into business. Hailo develops the Hailo-8 deep learning chip for edge AI, optimized for real-time image recognition and other inference tasks. The company’s architecture adapts resources to users’ custom neural networks, improving speed and energy efficiency and delivering about 26 tera operations per second. Hailo showed multiple demos at CES highlighting real-time image recognition performance. The new funding is intended to roll out the Hailo-8 and accelerate entry into new markets and industries. Targeted use cases include mobility, smart cities, industrial automation, and smart retail. With the Series B, Hailo’s total funding has reached $88 million. Hailo is developing a microprocessor, the Hailo-8, based on proprietary technology to deliver data center performance to edge devices for deep learning applications. The processor is high-performance, low-power and small-size, designed to enable embedded devices to process high-resolution video and other high-throughput streams in real time. Hailo positions the chip to serve a strategic focus on the automotive market while addressing surveillance, smart home, IoT, industrial, robotics, AR/VR and wearables. The company is opening registration for a Hailo-8 Fast Track program to let select customers evaluate initial samples and develop or prototype their own deep learning products. Led by CEO and co-founder Orr Danon, Hailo emphasizes enabling developers and customers across sectors to integrate its processor into devices. Hailo develops specialized deep learning processors for embedded devices. Its chips are aimed at running embedded AI applications such as drones, cars, smart home appliances and cameras. The company identifies the automotive industry as a key market and positions itself alongside Israeli startups like Mobileye. Hailo says it has redesigned processor architecture—memory, control and compute—to substantially boost deep learning performance. It will use the new funding to further develop its processors and expects samples to reach the market in the first half of 2019. Financially, Hailo announced a $12 million Series A round, bringing its total funding to $16 million.

Participated · Series C · Apr 2021

IRP Systems develops electric powertrains for a range of electric vehicles, claiming high performance and efficiency while reducing weight, size and overall cost. The company supplies multiple EV manufacturers, including Renault. IRP has raised a $31M Series C, bringing total funding to $57M. Management says the new capital will be used to scale development, shorten the path to mass production, and expand R&D, operations and customer support. The company also plans a push on global sales and marketing. CEO and co-founder Moran Price framed IRP as positioned at the center of automotive electrification and digitalization and said the firm will continue creating disruptive solutions. IRP Systems is a Tel Aviv, Israel–based provider of innovative electric powertrain products for e-mobility. The company specializes in high-performance electric powertrain systems for a variety of e-mobility platforms, enabling electric vehicles. It counts customers among top automotive and micro-mobility manufacturers in Asia Pacific, the EU and Israel. The company is led by CEO and Co‑Founder Moran Price and CTO and Co‑Founder Paul Price. IRP Systems is headquartered in Ness Ziona, Israel.