Femtosense

Based in Palo Alto, California, Femtosense (now femtoAI) is a fabless semiconductor company developing ultra-low-power neuromorphic chips for edge artificial intelligence. Founded in 2018 by chief executive officer Sam Fok and researchers from Stanford University, the startup utilizes sparse neural networks to deliver inference with significantly lower power and smaller memory than traditional processors. The proprietary Sparse Processing Unit targets real-time audio and sensor processing for consumer electronics, medical devices, security cameras, and autonomous vehicles. Operating with eleven to fifty employees, the pre-revenue enterprise secured public sector customers alongside a two million dollar contract with the United States Office of Naval Research. Backed by Fine Structure Ventures and Amino Capital, the organization raised more than thirteen million dollars in funding, achieving a twenty-seven million dollar valuation following its eight million dollar Series A round in 2022.