BRN Discussion Ongoing

[GazDix]

Hi all,

Here are the changes to the top 20 from 3rd quarter to 4th quarter 2023:


1. PVDM (founder) - same
2. Citi - up about 1 million shares.
3. BNP - up about 8.5 milions shares. They have accumulated large amounts throughout all of 2023.
4. Merril - up around 300k shares. They have been in the +/- 1 million shares all year. The real HODLers.
5. HSBC Australia - down 8 million shares. They have been selling off lostly in 2023.
6. JP Morgan - Been up all year but down about 11 million this quarter.
7. BNP (2) - down 3 million.
8. Certane - Down 5 million.
9. BNP (3) - up 1.5 million.
10. Certane (2) - up 1.8 million.
11. HSBC (2). up 96k shares only.
12. Osserian fam - same
13. National Nominees - down about 100k.
14. Finclear (new) - up about 400k.
15. Crossfield - same.
16. Paul (retail) - same.
17. Jeff (retail) - same
18. David (retail) - same
19. BNP (4) - (NEW). Could have bought 500k or more.
20. The Stardust Super Fund (NEW). Hard to say their change seeing the floor of the top 20 shareholders is now 5 million.
Couldn't find anything online about these guys.

Warbont nominees are out. Sold 800k or more to leave the top 20.
LDA are out. They were 9 million odd shares, so they have sold around 4.5 million shares or more to get out the top 20 ranking.

Consider that it was tax time in the the US as well and in my experience, there is always lots of movement in the markets before the New Year.

Good luck all shareholders,
Cheers,

 

[Bravo]

MICROSOFT & ARM HOLDINGS: SHAPING AI’S FUTURE WITH NEW PARTNERSHIPS​

MATT·JANUARY 26, 2024
AI
7 MINS READ

MICROSOFT AND ARM HOLDINGS: FORGING THE FUTURE OF AI​

Microsoft and Arm Holdings are two technology giants whose partnership is expected to shape the future of artificial intelligence (AI) significantly. While Microsoft is a global leader in software and cloud services, Arm Holdings is a renowned semiconductor and software design company. Together, their collaboration promises to revolutionise AI technologies and propel the industry to new heights.

MICROSOFT’S IN-HOUSE CHIP DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY​

Microsoft is making significant strides in its in-house chip development strategy, focusing on custom AI and cloud chips to stay at the forefront of technological innovation. By creating AI-specific processors, the company aims to improve performance and efficiency in various AI applications, including natural language processing and computer vision tasks.
At the core of this strategy are the Azure Maia AI Accelerator and Azure Cobalt CPU. The Maia AI Accelerator is designed to power language model training and inferencing, providing an efficient and scalable solution for AI workloads. Key features of this accelerator include its advanced design and capabilities, such as support for various precision levels, high-throughput compute, and large memory bandwidth. On the other hand, the Azure Cobalt CPU is an Arm-based processor focused on general-purpose compute workloads. This processor offers high-performance capabilities along with energy efficiency, making it a suitable choice for data centre environments.
The transition to Arm-based designs is another crucial aspect of Microsoft’s chip development strategy. As Arm Holdings’ technology gains traction in various computing segments, Microsoft is embracing these designs to stay competitive and provide diverse solutions to its customers. The shift towards Arm-based processors has significant implications for the industry, as it challenges the long-standing dominance of x86 architecture and opens up new possibilities for more efficient and versatile computing solutions.

EXPANDING INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS FOR DIVERSE INFRASTRUCTURE OPTIONS​

Microsoft’s collaboration with NVIDIA, AMD, and other tech giants reflects the company’s commitment to providing diverse infrastructure options to its customers. By working together with industry leaders, Microsoft aims to offer a range of high-quality AI and cloud computing solutions that cater to the varied needs of different businesses and sectors.
One example of this collaboration is the inclusion of NVIDIA H100 and H200 Tensor Core GPUs and AMD MI300X accelerated virtual machines (VMs) in Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. These advanced GPUs and VMs provide increased computational power and versatility, helping to drive innovation in AI and cloud-based services.
Microsoft’s goal to provide customers with infrastructure choices is rooted in its vision of fostering a multi-vendor ecosystem for Windows PCs with Arm-based processors. This strategy aims to reduce reliance on a single supplier and compete with Apple’s custom Arm-based chips, ultimately benefiting the end users by offering them a wider variety of high-performance computing options.

ARM HOLDINGS’ MASSIVE GROWTH OPPORTUNITY​

Arm Holdings is experiencing significant growth, thanks to its partnerships with Microsoft and other cloud giants. These strategic collaborations are helping the company expand its reach and influence within the tech industry.
Microsoft’s new CPU, which uses Arm technology, is one example of how the partnership benefits both parties. By incorporating Arm’s cutting-edge technology, Microsoft can develop innovative solutions that meet the evolving demands of the computing world. This collaboration not only enhances Microsoft’s product offerings but also raises Arm Holdings’ profile in the market.
The future prospects for Arm Holdings are promising, with the potential to impact the tech industry significantly. As more companies embrace Arm-based designs for their computing solutions, the demand for Arm’s technology is expected to grow exponentially. This growth will not only strengthen Arm Holdings’ position in the market but also contribute to the overall advancement of AI and other cutting-edge technologies.

AI INTEGRATION IN MICROSOFT AND ARM-BASED PROCESSORS​

Microsoft envisions artificial intelligence as an integral part of the Windows experience, transforming how users interact with their devices and applications. As a result, the company is working closely with Arm Holdings to develop processors with dedicated on-chip resources for AI functionalities.
These custom chips aim to provide a seamless and efficient AI experience across various platforms, benefiting users and developers alike. In addition to enhancing the performance of AI applications, these chips also contribute to the overall revolution of AI and cloud computing, enabling more powerful and accessible solutions for a wide range of industries.
By incorporating AI into the core of their processors, Microsoft and Arm are setting the stage for a new era in technology, where AI becomes an essential component of personal computing and cloud services. This collaboration will not only drive innovation in AI but also create new opportunities for businesses and consumers worldwide.

CHALLENGES FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS AND ADAPTING CODE​

The transition from x86 architecture to Arm-based designs is a significant shift in the computing industry. This change not only affects hardware manufacturers but also presents challenges for software developers. As Arm-based processors become more prevalent in Windows PCs, developers need to adapt their code for compatibility with the new architecture.
One of the primary concerns for software developers is ensuring that their applications run smoothly on both x86 and Arm-based systems. This requires a deep understanding of the differences between the two architectures and an ability to optimise code for each platform. Moreover, developers need to consider the performance implications of their code changes, as Arm-based processors may have different performance characteristics than their x86 counterparts.
Microsoft’s promotion of Arm-based processors for Windows PCs is a clear indication of the company’s commitment to creating a multi-vendor ecosystem. This strategy aims to reduce reliance on a single supplier and compete with Apple’s custom Arm-based chips. However, this also means that software developers must be prepared to support multiple hardware architectures, which can increase development complexity and maintenance costs.
In conclusion, the move towards Arm-based designs in personal computing presents both opportunities and challenges for software developers. As the industry continues to evolve, it is crucial for developers to stay informed of the latest trends and adapt their code accordingly to ensure compatibility and optimal performance across different hardware platforms.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS AND SECOND-GENERATION AZURE CHIPS​

As the partnership between Microsoft and Arm Holdings continues to flourish, plans are underway for the design and development of second-generation versions of the Azure Maia AI Accelerator Series and Azure Cobalt CPU Series. These next-generation chips aim to further enhance the capabilities of AI cloud services and general-purpose compute workloads, bringing even more innovative solutions to the market.

With the introduction of second-generation Azure chips, significant impacts on AI Cloud Services and server pricing are expected. By leveraging advanced technology from Arm Holdings and the expertise of Microsoft, these chips can potentially lead to more cost-effective and efficient cloud solutions. This, in turn, may enable businesses to scale their operations more effectively and access advanced AI functionalities at a lower cost.
Furthermore, Microsoft plays a crucial role in standardising data formats for AI models, ensuring seamless integration and compatibility across different platforms and applications. By promoting a unified approach to data formats, Microsoft is not only simplifying the development process for AI applications but also fostering collaboration and innovation within the industry.
In conclusion, the future developments of second-generation Azure chips, combined with Microsoft’s role in standardising data formats for AI models, will undoubtedly shape the future of AI and cloud services. As this partnership between Microsoft and Arm Holdings progresses, we can expect more groundbreaking advancements in AI technology and its applications across various industries.

CONCLUSION​

In summary, the partnership between Microsoft and Arm Holdings is a significant development in the technology industry, particularly with respect to AI’s future. Both companies are working together to create powerful, efficient, and versatile chips that leverage Arm’s technology. This collaboration has the potential to reshape the landscape of AI and cloud computing as we know it.
As AI continues to advance, its impact on various industries is becoming increasingly apparent. The collaboration between Microsoft and Arm Holdings is an excellent example of how tech giants are joining forces to shape AI’s future. By developing custom chips and processors that integrate AI capabilities, these companies are enabling a new generation of intelligent applications and services. This partnership not only strengthens both companies’ positions in the tech industry but also demonstrates the vital role AI advancements play in shaping the future of various sectors.
Overall, the Microsoft and Arm Holdings partnership highlights the significance of AI advancements in shaping the future of technology and various industries. As we continue to see more collaboration and innovation in this space, it’s evident that AI will play an increasingly crucial role in our lives and the world around us.

EMBRACE AI’S ADVANCEMENTS​

As Microsoft and Arm Holdings redefine the AI landscape, stay updated on the latest developments by visiting AutoGPT’s blog for more insights into AI advancements and industry news. Explore the capabilities and potential of AutoGPT , an AI system that can self-improve, and participate in AI challenges and hackathons with AutoGPT Arena Hacks . Discover the differences between Auto-GPT and ChatGPT and their respective roles in AI evolution by visiting AutoGPT vs ChatGPT . Embrace the future of AI and unlock its potential with AutoGPT.

Microsoft & Arm Holdings: Shaping AI's Future with New Partnerships

Microsoft and Arm Holdings are shaping the future of AI with new partnerships. Discover how this collaboration revolutionises AI technologies

autogpt.net

 

[MDhere]

Omer David Keilaf on LinkedIn: CES2024 was an exciting week for us. We had the pleasure to host some of…

CES2024 was an exciting week for us. We had the pleasure to host some of our partners and meet many who could see our live demo of our latest and greatest…

www.linkedin.com

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And hello BMW

 

[HopalongPetrovski]

Hi DB
LDA Capital receive a flat 8.5% of every dollar worth of shares sold.

If the dell one share for a dollar they receive 8.5 cents.

If they sell ten shares at 10 cents which equals a dollar they receive 8.5 cents.

If Brainchip wants to raise $1.00 and the current share price is one cent they give LDA enough shares to sell that based on current price expectations it will achieve this outcome. So 100 shares plus for safety sake another 10 shares to cover the 8.5% commission.

One dollar ten cents less 8.5% which is 9.35 cents leaving Brainchip with just over $1.00.

My opinion only DYOR
Fact Finder

Thanks for that explanation FF.
I had been under the impression it was a more complicated scenario.
It then appears that whenever LDA are selling BRN shares it would tend to have a depressing effect on the share price as they have no incentive to hold in expectation of a higher price such as a retail or corporate investor might be inclined to do?
I understand that the Company needs to raise capital from time to time and I suppose this is a relatively easy and cheaper method for them rather than a traditional credit raising from their existing share holders and the broader market.
I expect too that any suppressive effects on the share price will also tend to be short lived.
Are you happy with the present LDA arrangement?
From memory the last time they held a CR it was well subscribed?
I certainly took advantage at the time and applied for and received some above my allotment.
That too had a somewhat short term depressing effect on the share price but not long after it took off.

 

[7für7]

It now makes sense that LDA has sold. I had previously included LDA as an investor, which is, of course, incorrect. LDA operates based on different interests. My mistake! Additionally, the shares have now moved into other portfolios.

 

[Fact Finder]

Thanks for that explanation FF.
I had been under the impression it was a more complicated scenario.
It then appears that whenever LDA are selling BRN shares it would tend to have a depressing effect on the share price as they have no incentive to hold in expectation of a higher price such as a retail or corporate investor might be inclined to do?
I understand that the Company needs to raise capital from time to time and I suppose this is a relatively easy and cheaper method for them rather than a traditional credit raising from their existing share holders and the broader market.
I expect too that any suppressive effects on the share price will also tend to be short lived.
Are you happy with the present LDA arrangement?
From memory the last time they held a CR it was well subscribed?
I certainly took advantage at the time and applied for and received some above my allotment.
That too had a somewhat short term depressing effect on the share price but not long after it took off.

Hi HP
If I had my preference I would have companies be required to go to existing shareholders first on every capital raise.

As you will recall despite the fact you and I took up the opportunity the last time Brainchip included shareholders it was not fully subscribed. I would think that given current economic conditions it would be the same today unfortunately.

Moving on to LDA Capital I like it because Brainchip gets to set a minimum sale price.

When Institutional raises take place they usually get a significant discount to the market price and so can sell at or below market and still make substantial profit. This selling can continue for quite some time artificially suppressing the price.

Worse still these institutions can decide not to sell but to immediately lend to short sellers. You know what happens then.

Whereas a term of the LDA Capital agreement is that they cannot lend the shares to short sellers.

So on balance LDA Capital’s business model is definitely better for companies and retail shareholders.

My opinion only DYOR
Fact Finder

 

[HopalongPetrovski]

Hi HP
If I had my preference I would have companies be required to go to existing shareholders first on every capital raise.

As you will recall despite the fact you and I took up the opportunity the last time Brainchip included shareholders it was not fully subscribed. I would think that given current economic conditions it would be the same today unfortunately.

Moving on to LDA Capital I like it because Brainchip gets to set a minimum sale price.

When Institutuonal raises take place they usually get a significant discount to the market price and so can sell at or below market and still make substantial profit. This selling can continue for quite some time artificially suppressing the price.

Worse still these institutions can decide not to sell but to immediately lend to short sellers. You know what happens then.

Whereas a term of the LDA Capital agreement is that they cannot lend the shares to short sellers.

So on balance LDA Capital’s business model is definitely better for companies and retail shareholders.

My opinion only DYOR
Fact Finder

Thank you for your thoughts and explanation.
Yes, I have seen how the share price often falls to the CR price and sometimes significantly lower and have also seen shorter's exploiting perceived weakness. Think recent IMU CR which was also undersubscribed.
Good to know the Company sets a minimum sale price as well with LDA and so has more control of the process.
Again, thank you for spelling it out in layman's terms and hopefully we will be revenue positive soon eliminating the necessity for further routine raisings.

 

[DingoBorat]

Top notch presentation.
Just the music is too loud, making the audio harder to hear..

 

[IloveLamp]

odd......

Sells RENESAS......buys BRN?

Chipmaker Renesas' investors Hitachi, NEC cash out in turnaround milestone

Once-struggling Japanese company now outperforms Intel by some earnings measures

asia.nikkei.com

 

[CHIPS]

Top 20 is in !!

View attachment 55462
View attachment 55463

David James Evans' lucky number is "5" -> 5,555,555 Stocks
I hope it is for him as well as for us.

 

[rgupta]

Hi HP
If I had my preference I would have companies be required to go to existing shareholders first on every capital raise.

As you will recall despite the fact you and I took up the opportunity the last time Brainchip included shareholders it was not fully subscribed. I would think that given current economic conditions it would be the same today unfortunately.

Moving on to LDA Capital I like it because Brainchip gets to set a minimum sale price.

When Institutional raises take place they usually get a significant discount to the market price and so can sell at or below market and still make substantial profit. This selling can continue for quite some time artificially suppressing the price.

Worse still these institutions can decide not to sell but to immediately lend to short sellers. You know what happens then.

Whereas a term of the LDA Capital agreement is that they cannot lend the shares to short sellers.

So on balance LDA Capital’s business model is definitely better for companies and retail shareholders.

My opinion only DYOR
Fact Finder

Thanks for the insights FF. But the other things to consider here is there is a lot of retail shareholders. Unless institutions are interested and make a position it will be difficult to go directly to the the retail share holders.
So LDA is getting good benefit out of equation here.

 

[MDhere]

Thanks for the insights FF. But the other things to consider here is there is a lot of retail shareholders. Unless institutions are interested and make a position it will be difficult to go directly to the the retail share holders.
So LDA is getting good benefit out of equation here.

What im thinking is brainchip won't call on this until late very late 2024 when its in their best interest less shares for the money. My thoughts and my thoughts only as I am one person

 

[TheFunkMachine]

Top 20 is in !!

View attachment 55462
View attachment 55463

Is it just me or has former CEO Louis Dinardo sold his shares? Anyways I like the look of this top 20 list. Wish I was on it…

 

[Draed]

What's with the multiple BNP's and Certaine's? Same company? Different acounts? Can buy and sell to themselves? Influencing which way they want the market to go?

 

[7für7]

Is it just me or has former CEO Louis Dinardo sold his shares? Anyways I like the look of this top 20 list. Wish I was on it…

I’m not very familiar with this topic but as I remember from the past (really long time ago)
The regulations for CEOs leaving the company depend on various factors, including corporate policies, contractual agreements, and legislation. In many cases, there are specific rules and lock-up periods governing the sale of shares by former executives.

There are also lock-up periods during which former CEOs are restricted from selling shares after leaving the company. This is designed to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure that former executives do not immediately profit from insider information.

Sorry if there is a grammatical error… I made google translate

Maybe here is something interesting about it

https://www.upstock.io/post/what-happens-to-my-rsus-if-i-resign-read-this-before-quitting-your-company#:~:text=Usually%2C%20you'll%20lose%20all,nothing%20for%20those%20unvested%20units.

Edit sorry I forgot to translate

In terms of "Restricted Stock Agreements" there may be clauses requiring the former CEO to surrender or sell certain stocks.

These clauses aim to protect the interests of the company and ensure that the former CEO does not act in a way that could harm the company. For example, such agreements might stipulate that specific stock options must expire or be returned if the former CEO fails to meet certain conditions.

The exact terms depend on negotiations between the former CEO and the company.

 

[suss]

Is it just me or has former CEO Louis Dinardo sold his shares? Anyways I like the look of this top 20 list. Wish I was on it…

I also queried this, had a look and he dropped off from the 24/10/23 list. Attached is page 2 from 22/07/23

 

[Terroni2105]

This guy from T-Systems International, Elias Asbrede, making another pro BrainChip post

Neuromorphic Computing: The Future Of Sales | Elias Asbrede posted on the topic | LinkedIn

🚀 Neuromorphic Technology: Revolutionizing Sales Processes Neuromorphic computing, inspired by the human brain's neural structure, is set to transform the…

www.linkedin.com

 

[Diogenese]

Is it just me or has former CEO Louis Dinardo sold his shares? Anyways I like the look of this top 20 list. Wish I was on it…

Hi TFM,

When LdN dropped off, didn't someone spot one of those nominee accounts for the same number of shares?

 

[IloveLamp]

Tata Elxsi - Gen 3 HMI Design Jointly Developed by Tata Motors and Tata Elxsi Wins the German Design Award

Tata Elxsi

www.tataelxsi.com

 

[Frangipani]

Here is yet another puzzle piece primarily aimed at those doubting that carmakers see huge potential in neuromorphic technology and believing that Mercedes Benz’s implementation of Akida in the Vision EQXX project car’s voice control system was just a one-off experiment (it certainly would have helped if Markus Schäfer had meanwhile followed up with his promised second In The Loop blog entry on neuromorphic computing).

I happened to come across a weekly podcast series by German national newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - aka FAZ - called “D:Economy”, featuring current topics relating to digitalisation and technology.

The podcast’s guest in episode 286 (Dec 1, 2023) was Prof. Steven Peters, who - as you may recall - was the founder and Head of AI Research at Mercedes from 2016-2022, overseeing the Vision EQXX concept car project, before returning to the world of academia full-time; he is now Professor for Automotive Engineering at TU Darmstadt. The podcast centred around autonomous driving, and the interviewee was asked for his assessment of the progress made so far.


https://www.faz.net/podcasts/f-a-z-...men-fahren-wirklich-herr-peters-19354415.html


There was one specific passage (from 3:07 min) that I would like to share with you all. After podcast host Alexander Armbruster had introduced his guest, they briefly talked about Steven Peters’ role as MB’s former Manager of AI Research. The latter said that his team had tried to develop and implement ML tools everywhere in the company where they deemed it to be of added value (he listed aerodynamics, user experience, chassis analysis), and when asked about an example of a specific project, he referred to AI-generated routines as an example of how AI features his team had “vorgedacht” found their way into the new E-Class. [The verb used here, vordenken, derives from the German noun Vordenker (= forward thinker) and has a very positive pioneering, innovative and visionary connation].

Steven Peters then went on to say the following:
(First a verbatim transcription of the German original, followed by a teamwork translation by DeepL & myself):


Steven Peters: “Wir haben außerdem sehr viele Themen begleitet, die jetzt auch gerade ‘nen sehr sehr großen Hype auslösen, sag’ ich mal - das ist alles, was mit Energieeffizienz und KI zu tun hat. Wir haben das in dem Projekt Vision EQXX damals auch demonstrieren dürfen: Da haben wir die Sprachbedienung erstmalig - nach unserer Kenntnis erstmalig - auf einem neuromorphischen Chip umgesetzt, d.h., der läuft extrem energieeffizient - im Prinzip hat er die gleiche, vor Kunde die gleiche [? etwas unverständlich, evtl. meinte er für den Kunden?] Funktion, es ändert sich gar nichts, nur es läuft eben viel energieeffizienter ab. Jetzt ist die Sprachbedienung keine große Energiesenke in dem Auto, aber es war ein Use Case, an dem man mal zeigen konnte, dass es geht, und unser großes Ziel jetzt - auch in meiner wissenschaftlichen Forschung an der TU Darmstadt - ist, für sicherheitsrelevante Themen, wie jetzt z.B. die Perzeption - die Objekterkennung beim automatisierten Fahren - auf solchen Chips, mit solchen neuronalen Netzen auch eben energieeffizienter zu machen. Und dann sind wir wirklich in einer hochsicherheitsrelevanten, offensichtlich hochsicherheitsrelevanten Anwendung, und das ist noch ‘ne, ‘ne harte Nuss.”

Alexander Armbruster: “Ist Mercedes da eher hinten dran oder vorne mit dabei? Es gibt ja amerikanische Konzerne, die, ähm, zugegeben auch viel mehr Marketing machen, auch bei viel kleineren Schritten sehr große Ankündigungen zum Teil machen, damit aber, wenn man es so vergleicht, ist Waymo, ähm, ist Waymo weit vorne oder fährt‘s mit Daimler auf derselben Höhe ungefähr, oder…?”

Steven Peters: “Also, ich würde tatsächlich sagen, dass Waymo weltweit führend ist, und Waymo benimmt sich, ähm, im positiven Sinne wie ‘ne Universität. Also die, die forschen sehr sehr viel, auch in der Grundlagenforschung, veröffentlichen auch einiges, und das ist wirklich beeindruckend. Und mir wäre jetzt kein vergleichbares Unternehmen bekannt, das in dieser Tiefe und in dieser Ernsthaftigkeit und mit so einem langen Atem dieses Thema erforscht und vorantreibt. Von daher glaub’ ich, sind die zu Recht auf Platz 1, muss man glaub’ ich so sagen. Unsere deutschen sind aber allesamt, äh, jetzt nicht irgendwie abgehängt oder weit dahinter - der Anwendungsfall ist nur ‘n anderer. Und wir sehen das ja - Mercedes war der erste jetzt in Deutschland, BMW ist jetzt gefolgt - mit dem sogenannten Level 3-System; das ist nicht ganz so viel, wie die Robotaxis von Waymo, die in San Francisco jetzt seit wenigen Monaten auch kommerziell im Einsatz sind, aber es ist [sic!] auch weltweit hier die ersten, die an private Kunden solche Fahrzeuge ausliefern, wo ich unter ganz engen, definierten Szenarien als Fahrender wirklich die Hände auch vom Lenkrad nehmen darf und auch die Verantwortung ans Fahrzeug übergebe, d.h. ich darf dann wirklich in diesen Szenarien, wenn das Fahrzeug übernommen hat, z.B. die FAZ lesen.“

---

Steven Peters: “In addition, we were involved in a lot of topics that are currently generating a lot of hype, I'd say - everything that has to do with energy efficiency and AI. We were also able to demonstrate this in the Vision EQXX project: we implemented voice control on a neuromorphic chip for the first time - to our knowledge for the first time - which means it runs extremely energy-efficiently. In principle it has the same, … [? somewhat incomprehensible in the original, perhaps he meant for the customer?] function, nothing changes at all, it just runs much more energy-efficiently. Now, voice control is not a major energy sink in the car, but it was a use case that showed it works, and our big goal now - also in my scientific research at TU Darmstadt - is to make safety-relevant topics, such as perception - object recognition in automated driving - more energy-efficient on such chips, with such neural networks. And then we will really be in a highly safety-relevant, obviously highly safety-relevant application [more freely translated “we’ll be dealing with…”], and that is still a tough nut to crack.”
[Highly safety-relevant is the literal translation of the adjective hochsicherheitsrelevant, which Steven Peters uses in the German original; I‘d be inclined to use the English translation safety-critical here, but I am not sure whether those two terms would be equivalent in automotive tech speak]


Alexander Armbruster: “Is Mercedes at the back of the pack or in front? There are American companies that, um, admittedly do a lot more marketing, make some very big announcements, even with much smaller steps, but if you compare it like this, is Waymo, um, is Waymo far ahead or is it roughly on the same level with Daimler...?”

Steven Peters: “Well, I would actually say that Waymo is the global leader, and Waymo behaves, um, like a university in a positive sense. They do a lot of research, including basic research, and they also publish a lot, and that's really impressive. And I'm not aware of any comparable company that is researching and advancing this topic in such depth and with such seriousness and staying power, so I think it is fair to say they are deservedly the number one. But our German companies are all, er, not somehow left behind or far behind - the use case is just a different one. And we can see that - Mercedes was the first in Germany, BMW has now followed - with the so-called Level 3 system, which is not quite as advanced as Waymo's robotaxis, which have now been in commercial use for a few months in San Francisco, but it [sic!] is also the first in the world to deliver such vehicles to private customers, in which I as the driver can really take my hands off the wheel under very narrow, defined scenarios and also hand over legal responsibility [liability?] to the vehicle, i.e. in these scenarios, once the vehicle has taken over, I [as the person in the driver’s seat] am actually [legally] permitted to read the FAZ, for example."


So here is my take on our relationship with Mercedes:

While no specific neuromorphic company gets mentioned in the podcast, we know for a fact that it was Akida he is referring to when he talks about the voice control implementation on a neuromorphic chip in the Vision EQXX concept car.

And we just heard it practically from the horse’s mouth (even though Steven Peters is no longer employed by MB) that voice control will not remain the only application to be optimised by neuromorphic technology. Automotive companies have definitely set their eyes even on highly safety-relevant vision applications, too (pun intended). However, it may take a little longer than a lot of us BRN shareholders envisage before neuromorphic chips will be implemented ubiquitously in cars (“… that is still a tough nut to crack.”)

Although we cannot be 100% sure that Mercedes is going to utilise Akida in the future (as opposed to other neuromorphic tech) - unless we get an official announcement - chances are they will stick with the commercially available tried and tested, and the recent reveal by former Brainchip ML intern Vishnu Prateek Kakaraparthi that @Pom down under had discovered is evidence of continued interest in cooperation between MB and Brainchip until at least August 2023.

Note that the wording is “positioning for potential project collaboration with Mercedes”, so the way I read it this is no proof of present collaboration, even though other posters have claimed so. To me, it sounds more like MB wants to compare two or more neuromorphic solutions before making a final decision, although that of course begs the question of who could be the potential competition. Last year, Markus Schäfer mentioned both Brainchip and Intel as leading developers in the field in his first In the Loop blog entry. But how does that align with Loihi not being ready for commercialisation for another few years?

As for the recent CES Rob Telson interview: Yes, he mentions smart cabin features announced by “companies like Mercedes”, but stops short of claiming that it is indeed Brainchip’s technology enabling Mercedes to do what they are promoting. IMO this is no proof either that Mercedes is still a customer.

So while I am convinced that MB (and other carmakers) will implement neuromorphic tech into their future cars and I am optimistic about a continuing collaboration between MB and Brainchip for various reasons (eg as the Mercedes logo continues to be shown on Brainchip’s website under “You’re in good company”), I wouldn’t say it is 100% certain from what we know so far, and I don’t think it is fair to insult people who question the claim made by some that it is or who state they believe the lead times are much longer than what some posters here wish for.