The company building a ‘living computer’ with human cells

Loading player...
The invention of the silicon transistor was fundamental to the success of the digital age, driving the core of the modern-day digital economy.
The rise of generative AI has put hardware at the epicentre of the next wave of economic growth, with chip makers such as Nvidia and AMD reaching record valuations as demand for advanced chips far outstrips supply.
But as AI data centres expand, so, too, does their consumption of resources, with their demand for water and electricity rising exponentially.
FinalSpark is a Swiss biocomputing company exploring more efficient ways of computing – and it’s turned to human neurons as a potential solution.
In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Fred Jordan, co-founder and co-CEO of FinalSpark, gives insight into “wetware” (in effect, living hardware) and what it means for the future of computing.
Jordan delves into:
• What inspired him turn to living neurons as a means of processing;
• Parallels between his training as a signal processing engineer and his work with living neurons;
• Why FinalSpark uses human neurons and not any other like those from a cat on an octopus;
• How skin cells are used to “create” the neurons;
• How the neurons are fed, stored and kept alive;
• How long the neurons live for and the sort of computations FinalSpark has made them perform; and
• His views on the future of computing.
Don’t miss this intriguing discussion!
23 Oct 8AM English South Africa Technology · Business

Other recent episodes

Why South Africans are starting to spend crypto, not just trade it

Cryptocurrencies are increasingly moving beyond being seen as an investment asset as users find more real-world uses in everyday contexts. It appears that crypto is becoming more like cash – with users prepared to use it as the point of sale. Crypto payments specialist MoneyBadger recently signed a deal with…
22 Oct 5AM 29 min

PayInc CEO Stephen Linnell on South Africa's payments revolution

South Africa’s payments ecosystem is evolving at a rapid pace. PayInc – previously BankservAfrica – sits at the core of the country’s payments infrastructure. As the builder and manager of the PayShap instant payment rails, PayInc is central to the Reserve Bank’s plans to drive digital inclusion through payment modernisation…
25 Sep 3AM 25 min

From lockdown idea to global player: The Invigilator bags $11-million funding

The Invigilator, the developer of a South African application that helps educational institutions monitor web-based assessments to prevent cheating, recenty secured US$11-million (R195-million) in funding to help it expand internationally. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, Nicolas Riemer, co-founder and CEO of The Invigilator, joins TechCentral’s Nkosinathi Ndlovu to…
23 Sep 3AM 35 min