Ian Hogarth’s investment group, Plural, has led a significant £16.9m funding round into Oriole Networks.
- Oriole Networks, a London-based startup, is innovating faster and more sustainable AI technologies using photonics.
- The company aims to improve AI chip networks to enhance processing power and reduce energy consumption.
- Hogarth, formerly of Songkick, emphasises the potential of deep photonics research in AI applications.
- Existing investors include UCL Technology Fund and Dorilton Ventures participated in this funding round.
Ian Hogarth, a notable figure in the AI sector and co-founder of investment firm Plural, has led his group through a strategic £16.9m funding round aimed at Oriole Networks. This innovative London startup is pioneering the use of advanced photonics technology to not only increase the speed at which generative AI operates but also enhance its sustainability. Founded in 2023 as a spinout from University College London, Oriole Networks has already captured the attention of investors with its bold vision of using light to optimise the performance of large language models (LLMs).
Focused on addressing one of AI’s major challenges, Oriole Networks employs a novel approach whereby photonics facilitates networking among AI chips. This breakthrough allows for significant improvements in processing speeds and energy efficiency. The company claims it can achieve training efficiencies for LLMs up to 100 times faster than conventional methods, with a drastic reduction in energy consumption. Such advancements are vital, considering the current energy demands of data centres involved in AI training, which remain one of the largest hurdles for the sector’s scalability.
Hogarth brings to Oriole Networks not just funding but seasoned expertise. His previous leadership in the live music startup Songkick and his role as an AI advisor to the UK government underscore his deep understanding of both the tech industry’s commercial and regulatory landscapes. Hogarth champions the extensive research underpinning Oriole’s technology, asserting that it heralds a fundamental transformation in AI infrastructure with the potential to significantly mitigate the energy footprint of data centres, which are crucial to everyday digital services.
This funding round also saw notable participation from existing investors, including the UCL Technology Fund, XTX Ventures, Clean Growth Fund, and Dorilton Ventures. Such a diverse investor base supports the company’s ambitious goal of reshaping the AI industry through photonic networking. CEO James Regan of Oriole Networks underscores the importance of expanding this ecosystem, aiming to alleviate current bottlenecks and foster greater competitiveness within the GPU domain. Regan conveys a clear vision of advancing AI capabilities to be faster, more efficient, and more sustainable, leveraging decades of research in photonics.
Ian Hogarth’s investment signals a transformative step in advancing AI technology through Oriole Networks’ promising innovations.
