AI startup led by UW computer science whiz enables ‘superhuman hearing capabilities'
Shyam Gollakota.
A new stealthy Seattle startup is taking sound technology to a whole new dimension.
Hearvana was just founded by University of Washington computer science researchers.
Shyam Gollakota, co-founder of Hearvana, told GeekWire that the company is 'creating AI breakthroughs that are shaping the future of sound.'
'Our AI algorithms enable on-device superhuman hearing capabilities and will be part of billions of earbuds, hearing aids and smartphones,' he said. 'It is an exciting time.'
Gollakota, a renowned tech inventor and researcher, said the company is developing unique AI models to help people seamlessly choose what they want to hear in real-time.
Part of the company's secret sauce is its ability to quickly process audio on a device without requiring large amounts of power or compute on a device.
Hearvana is being incubated at the AI2 Incubator in Seattle.
'Hearvana is my favorite kind of startup as it addresses a familiar pain point — we all struggle to hear in noisy settings like a restaurant or a party — with deep AI technology,' said Oren Etzioni, technical director and partner at AI2 Incubator.
Etzioni, the former CEO of the Allen Institute for AI, called Gollakota a 'world-class computer scientist.'
Hearvana co-founder Malek Itani.
Gollakota has a track record of turning research into startups.
He previously co-founded Sound Life Sciences, a UW spinout that developed an app to monitor breathing that was acquired by Google in 2022.
He's also the co-founder of Wavely Diagnostics, which uses a smartphone app to detect ear infections.
Gollakota last year won a $100,000 award as one of six researchers honored as part of this year's Infosys Prize.
His research focuses on wireless tech, battery-free devices, WiFi sensing and imaging, medical diagnostics via smartphones, and more.
Malek Itani, a research assistant and PhD student at the UW's computer science school, is a co-founder of Hearvana. Itani was an intern at Meta, where he worked on smart glasses.
Gollakota and Itani published research last year on a headphone prototype that uses AI to create a 'sound bubble' and can learn the distance for each sound source in a room.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Wire
15 hours ago
- Geek Wire
Internal memo: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella urges long-term thinking as Azure marks 15 years
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella asks employees in a new memo, 'What are you working on today that you have such conviction on, that 15 years from now you will look back and say, 'We got it right!'?' (GeekWire File Photo / Kevin Lisota) This month has been a roller-coaster at Microsoft — starting with thousands of layoffs and ending with blockbuster earnings. In a new message to employees, posted Wednesday afternoon on the company's internal communications platform, CEO Satya Nadella struck a reflective tone, encouraging a long-term mindset. The context: the 15th anniversary of Microsoft Azure. Once a distant challenger to Amazon Web Services, Azure has grown into a key pillar of the Redmond company's business, generating $75 billion in annual revenue — more than a quarter of Microsoft's total — as disclosed for the first time in Microsoft's earnings release. In the new message, obtained by GeekWire, Nadella explained that he has been 'personally reflecting on our Azure journey, having been there since the early days.' 'We have come a long way since Project Red Dog!' he wrote, referring to Azure's internal code name prior to its public unveiling. The message continued … 'I still remember what it felt like in the beginning. We were all in. We believed in the arc of technology. There were challenges, but we stayed the course, compounding small gains quarter-after-quarter and earning our customers' trust—and here we are adding as much capacity in a month as we did in our first five years!' 'This is what's required to make long-term progress: have a bold vision, complete the thought, and persist through all the ups and downs. And that is what makes Microsoft unique: our ability to think in decades and execute in quarters. 'That's what great teams and great businesses do. And that's what continues to drive us forward. 'So it's worth each of us asking: What are you working on today that you have such conviction on, that 15 years from now you will look back and say, 'We got it right!'? 'That's the opportunity in front of us. Thank you for everything you do. I am grateful to be on the journey with you.' In a separate memo last week, made public by the company at the time, Nadella addressed the juxtaposition between the company's recent job cuts and soaring profits, referring to the situation as the 'enigma of success.' That message drew a wave of internal reaction — ranging from appreciation to skepticism and frustration — as Microsoft employees tried to reconcile the company's financial strength with its workforce restructuring. Between ongoing hiring and recent layoffs, the company is keeping overall headcount flat — around 228,000 employees globally, according to a new filing. Wall Street analysts praised Microsoft for its operating cost discipline. At the same time, Microsoft is ramping up capital spending to unprecedented levels, planning a record $30 billion in the next quarter alone to expand its AI infrastructure — aiming in part to keep Azure strong for the next 15 years and beyond. RELATED STORIES
Geek Wire
2 days ago
- Geek Wire
San Francisco hype and Seattle responsibility: A fresh look at location and language in AI job posts
I left my hype in San Francisco. (GeekWire File Photo / Kurt Schlosser) Ten years after she first analyzed how San Francisco and Seattle differed in the language used in tech job posts, former Textio CEO Kieran Snyder is getting a fresh read on popular phrasing in the age of AI. Snyder stepped down as head of the Seattle-based augmented writing startup in January 2024, and is now filling her time diving into data at Nerd Processor, a website/newsletter that explores varying aspects of AI, startups, and teams. Snyder said that in recent months, in Seattle and during recent trips to San Francisco talking to tech execs about AI transformation, she'd noticed 'some small but significant differences in how people talk about it.' The Nerd Processor in her couldn't help but check the data by analyzing job posts. In a new post on her site, Snyder explains how she looked at 1,000 AI-related job posts in the Bay Area, Seattle, NYC, and Austin, Texas, analyzing roles for six classes of language. Those classes include 'hype' — which covers vacuous words like 'disruptive,' 'innovative' and 'cutting-edge' — and 'responsibility' — which includes discussion of concepts like 'ethics,' 'responsible AI,' and 'sustainability.' Other classes included 'enterprise,' 'speed,' 'transformation,' and 'research.' Click to enlarge. (Graphic via Nerd Processor) According to Snyder, 'No one spikes higher on hype and speed than San Francisco. No one talks more about responsibility than Seattle. New York is enterprise central. And in every dimension, Austin is like San Francisco's little sister.' In 2015, in a post for Textio, Snyder first wrote about the prevalence of the word 'awesome' in San Francisco job posts. Out of 53,523 jobs she looked at for that city, 1,662 — over 3% — included 'awesome.' Out of 36,469 jobs she looked at for Seattle, 552, or 1.5%, of them included the word. For its part, Seattle came out ahead on ethical language, Snyder wrote, with phrases like 'values,' 'honesty,' and 'integrity' showing up more in Seattle than anywhere else. 'The language that you use in your job listing changes who will apply,' Snyder wrote at the time. 'But the phrases that work best depend where you live. What works in New York doesn't always work in San Francisco, even for jobs that are listed by the same company.' Snyder's takeaway this week? 'Tech may ostensibly share an industry and a language, but culture is still deeply local.' Read more at Snyder's Nerd Processor website, and on LinkedIn where Snyder also shared her findings and has sparked a discussion about it all.
Geek Wire
3 days ago
- Geek Wire
Can Seattle own the AI era? We asked 20 investors and founders to weigh the city's startup potential
GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . The AI boom presents a massive opportunity for Seattle's startup ecosystem — but does the city have the right culture, capital, and community to support success? (Photo by Robert Ritchie on Unsplash) Throw a dart at the GeekWire 200 and you'll hit a fast-growing AI company. Stop by a Seattle Tech Week event and you're bound to meet an AI engineer or entrepreneur. Scroll through lists of top global startup ecosystems and you'll find Seattle ranked among the best. But the defining moment for Seattle's startup scene could still be ahead — thanks to an AI transformation that's shaking up the technology industry. 'The opportunity here smacks you in the face with a sledgehammer,' said Greg Gottesman, a longtime venture capitalist in Seattle and managing director at Pioneer Square Labs. Many startup leaders share the same sentiment, given the density of engineering talent that's crucial to building companies in the burgeoning era of artificial intelligence. 'The number of people who are highly capable and super well-positioned to be able to leverage this next technology wave is very much in our favor,' said Aviel Ginzburg, a tech investor who leads Seattle-based startup hub Foundations. As entrepreneurs, investors, and startup leaders prepare to gather for the annual Seattle Tech Week events this week, GeekWire interviewed more than 20 people across the community to get a pulse on Seattle's startup ecosystem at the threshold of the AI boom. The optimism was almost universal. 'This is Seattle's generational opportunity,' said Samir Manjure, a veteran entrepreneur and CEO of Seattle startup Vieu. 'We have the talent. We have the tech. Now we need to move louder, faster, and bolder.' But beneath the optimism, warning signs surfaced. Some community leaders expressed concern about the region's risk-averse culture, the lack of local capital, and government policy as potential roadblocks to startup success. 'There could be way more founders in the Seattle ecosystem than there are right now,' said Yifan Zhang, managing director of the AI2 Incubator and leader at the new AI House. Seattle is still developing the 'density of early-stage capital and the fast-moving, risk-tolerant culture that defines Silicon Valley,' said Navin Chaddha, managing partner at Bay Area firm Mayfield, which has backed two Seattle startups this year. 'That's Seattle's opportunity — to build more connective tissue for early-stage builders to take the leap,' he said. Several other key trends emerged in our interviews — as well as suggestions to help the ecosystem thrive in the AI era. Seattle is primed for the AI moment There's little doubt that Seattle is an epicenter for AI. The Seattle region ranks third behind Silicon Valley and San Francisco as measured by the share of tech jobs involving AI, according to Burning Glass Institute, which analyzed job postings in large U.S. metros. Seattle ranked No. 10 in the actual number of AI jobs. 'There's an immense amount of technical talent here,' said Sri Chandrasekar, a Seattle-based managing partner at Point72 Private Investments. Other important factors about Seattle's AI clout: Microsoft and Amazon anchor the region — hometown tech giants behind the cloud computing services that are essential for large language models. Top institutions such as the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) and the University of Washington attract renowned researchers working on cutting-edge AI tools. Silicon Valley behemoths including Meta, Apple, Google and others have substantial engineering teams based in the Seattle region. Following the demise of Techstars Seattle, new communities focused on AI startups — Foundations, AI House, and others — have emerged as physical locations that encourage knowledge-sharing and peer support between entrepreneurs, while creating space for serendipity. The presence of large tech companies helps — and hinders — the startup ecosystem Matt McIlwain, managing director at Madrona, said his portfolio companies recently met with an Amazon executive to discuss the impact of AI on business models. The proximity and exposure to influential tech giants can give Seattle startups an advantage — something McIlwain calls 'unfair access.' 'There's not a lot of places in the world where you can have those kinds of conversations,' he said. But those companies can also suck up tech talent that may otherwise join the startup ecosystem. And they may be a primary reason why Seattle has such a small sliver of the world's billion-dollar 'unicorn' startups despite a high concentration of elite software engineers. Microsoft's headquarters campus in Redmond, Wash. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper) Large companies can offer higher salaries, more stability, and better work-life balance. Some theorize that talented tech workers choose big companies because they don't like taking risks. But others believe it's just common sense. 'To me, that's not risk aversion — it's just smart,' said Andrew Peterson, an entrepreneur-turned-investor in Seattle. Recent layoffs at Amazon and Microsoft could loosen the 'golden handcuffs' that have historically kept talent within the corporate walls. But their skills and mindset might not translate well to entrepreneurship. 'They tend to be excellent at scaling in large corporate environments, but may struggle in a much smaller startup,' said Niki Parekh, a longtime entrepreneur whose startup was acquired by Microsoft. Tech giants are also poaching top engineers to stay ahead in the AI race. Matt Deitke, a former Ai2 researcher who co-founded Seattle startup Vercept, just relocated to Menlo Park to join Meta — which is reportedly offering compensation packages worth up to $300 million over four years. Leslie Feinzaig, managing director at Graham & Walker, said the ecosystem could use more 'middle layer' growth-stage startups — companies that have raised plenty of cash and can provide a soft landing for corporate tech workers transitioning to startup life. 'We want more entrepreneurs, but I think we need to show them what it's like to work in a venture-backed startup,' she said. Many of the Seattle-area founders featured in our 'Startup Radar' spotlights previously worked at Amazon, Microsoft, and other larger tech companies. Have comments or thoughts about this topic? Join the conversation on LinkedIn. But given that Amazon and Microsoft combined employ more than 100,000 in the Seattle region, it's a bit baffling that there aren't more startups sprouting. Resources and groups that provide training around entrepreneurship could help. 'I think what's missing is the early education and support for aspiring founders,' said Jen Haller, partner at early stage investment firm Ascend. That guidance can come from serial entrepreneurs or veteran investors — but leaders within large enterprise tech companies can also lend a helping hand to startups with their expertise or network, said Pablo Casilimas, managing partner at OneSixOne Ventures. Cultural humility helps — to a point Seattle startups are like the college students that never show up to class but ace their tests. Bay Area startups are the popular social butterflies that don't have much depth behind the curtain. That's how Edward Wu sees the differences between founders in each ecosystem. 'Seattle startups are more low-key, more engineering-focused,' said Wu, CEO and co-founder at Seattle cybersecurity startup Dropzone AI, which just raised $37 million. Sunil Nagaraj, managing partner at Silicon Valley firm Ubiquity Ventures, appreciates the sense of humility among the Seattle-area startups he's backed. 'Folks there all feel like they're in the grind,' he said. 'Very few get ahead of themselves.' But that approach may limit the number of startups that can achieve massive, disruptive growth — and become the next Microsoft or Amazon. Many believe Seattle entrepreneurs need to embrace a bigger vision and a bigger dream. 'That's going to help a lot,' said Vivek Ladsariya, managing director at Pioneer Square Labs who relocated from San Francisco last year. Part of that shift means founders taking more risks — and fostering a culture of accepting failures. 'Failure in Silicon Valley — it is no big deal at all,' Nagaraj said. Capital remains a constraint — especially early on VC Investment Activity by MSA Venture Capital Investment Activity Deal Value by Metropolitan Statistical Area (2017-2025) Seattle Boston New York Bay Area Los Angeles Seattle-area companies have raised $4 billion in venture capital across 188 deals so far this year, according to PitchBook. That's not even in the same ballpark as the Bay Area ($105.6 billion across 1,545 deals) and well behind New York City ($12 billion across 941 deals), Los Angeles ($7.9 billion across 385 deals), and Boston ($5.6 billion across 324 deals). Those numbers could reflect the fact that there just aren't as many high-growth startups getting off the ground in Seattle, relative to other top tier metros. Or it may highlight the lack of local investors. 'We have way more quality companies than capital available — there is no question about that,' said Ron Weiner, founder of Venture Mechanics, a Seattle-area incubator and event space. Sure, Seattle companies can raise cash from investors in the Bay Area or elsewhere — and most do. But having more local angel investors and VC funds around town can make a difference in spurring startup creation, according to Ladsariya. 'It will catalyze a lot more founders starting companies,' he said. And just as more education could help founders, the same could be said for potential angel investors — such as longtime corporate tech employees with capital to disperse. 'The reality is the majority of the angels really just don't know what questions to ask despite having the right intentions,' said Peterson. Startup communities can also help play a role in helping companies land funding. Kavian Mojabe, founder at MediScan AI, said he strategically met with investors at Foundations. 'I would not have raised my round without Foundations,' he said. Government should support entrepreneurship Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell speaks at the AI2 Incubator BBQ last year. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper) Several people mentioned the need for support from lawmakers to boost Seattle's startup ecosystem and broader tech sector that makes up 22% of the state's economy. 'I'd like to see local policy leaders be clear about if they want a startup community here or not,' Peterson said. The state passed several new business taxes this year, including an expansion of the retail sales tax to include digital and professional services, and an increase to the capital gains tax. The city, meanwhile, is considering an increase to the business and occupation (B&O) tax for larger companies. 'The ease of doing business in Seattle is a big problem,' Feinzaig said. Seattle officials contend they support entrepreneurship, pointing to the recently opened AI House and Climate Innovation Hub. Both are funded in part by city and state money. 'We are leading intentional efforts to foster an environment where entrepreneurs and startups can get a foothold in Seattle and access the tools and resources to flourish,' Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement. The city's Office of Economic Development said it is hiring a workforce development policy advisor that will specialize in working with the tech sector. It's also studying vacant office space for companies and has a goal 'to make Seattle the best place to start up, incubate, and grow an AI company in the nation,' according to a spokesperson. Seattle ranks No. 2, behind San Jose, among top metros measured by tech economic impact as a percent of the local economy, according to CompTIA. It's also one of just a handful of areas to see employee growth in startup and big tech employment from 2023 to 2024, according to SignalFire. Mark Monroe, a longtime Seattle entrepreneur and event organizer, envisions a model where city and regional agencies 'open their doors' to the startup ecosystem by allowing companies to help improve local infrastructure or processes. Both government and startup leaders express a desire to work more seamlessly together — but whether that happens in the AI era remains to be seen. 'The more friction that we create to tell those people who want to be entrepreneurs and want to build that they're not welcome here and that this place isn't for them — we're doing ourselves a great disservice,' Ginzburg said. Just do the work Kirby Winfield is done with the navel gazing. 'The never-ending negative self-talk of Seattle as an underperformer, or a market in need of fixing, is patently absurd,' said Winfield, founding general partner at Ascend. He pointed to new data showing that Seattle ranks third among tech hubs as measured by return on invested capital. 'Most ecosystems would kill for the number of startups and big winners we have. We need to simply do more of what we're already doing — it works,' he said. But Seattle hasn't seen a blockbuster tech startup exit since 2021 — when Okta bought Auth0 for $6.5 billion, Twilio acquired Zipwhip for $850 million, and Remitly went public at a valuation of nearly $7 billion. The city is home to some fast-growing unicorn companies such as Statsig and Truveta. But it lacks 'decacorns,' or privately-held companies valued above $10 billion. And there isn't a hot early stage AI startup with massive revenue growth — companies like Cursor, or Lovable. 'We haven't seen one of those yet in Seattle,' said Chandrasekar. 'But I think it's only a matter of time.' Chris DeVore, founding managing partner at Founders' Co-op, said Seattle has the pieces in place — talent, community, capital. It just needs more examples of entrepreneurs scaling multi-billion dollar startups and generating generational wealth. 'Winning solves everything,' he said. 'Build — and win.'
