Unlocking major energy efficiencies in microchips with pioneering memory compression technology: an interview with Klas Moreau, CEO, ZeroPoint

August 29, 2024

Klas Moreau, CEO ZeroPoint

Company name: ZeroPoint

Solution: Memory compression technology to optimize data center and smart device power consumption

Year founded: 2016

Location: Gothenburg, Sweden

Computing and storage technology is a crucial and rapidly growing part of our global infrastructure that also consumes a vast amount of energy. The Information and Communications Technology sector currently accounts for approximately 7% of global electricity consumption and is forecast to rise to 13% by 2030. These estimates don’t even fully account for the rise of LLMs.

Energy efficiency in data centers and smart devices is therefore paramount to climate change mitigation. However, whereas we have gained efficiencies in some key areas, including central processing units (CPUs) and other core processors, memory storage has remained a significant drain on energy.

That’s until ZeroPoint developed its memory compression technology to optimize microchip performance. ZeroPoint’s technology for semiconductors delivers up to 50% more performance per watt by removing unnecessary information. Data center companies and smart device developers can integrate ZeroPoint’s hardware and memory management software into their systems to maximize performance and minimize energy consumption.

In this interview, CEO of ZeroPoint, Klas Moreau, explains how the company helps data center and smart device companies demonstrate their commitment to sustainability while enjoying the economic benefits of more energy-efficient performance.

Why was ZeroPoint founded?

It all started at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, where co-founder Dr. Per Stenström’s research into improving computer performance found that despite the development of a variety of effective storage compression technologies, no equivalent memory compression technology existed. 

Knowing how critical memory is in affecting the performance utilization of computing units, he saw a major unexploited commercial potential in memory compression.

After four years of research perfecting the memory compression technology alongside Dr. Angelos Arelakis, the two professors founded ZeroPoint to take this pioneering technology to market. 

What are the main benefits of ZeroPoint’s memory compression technology for customers?

The main outcome of our technology is energy efficiency. A typical microchip memory contains up to 70% of unnecessary information. By removing this information through ultra-fast data compression, real-time data compaction and transparent memory management, we offer up to 50% more performance per watt compared to traditional semiconductor technologies.

This energy efficiency translates into much-needed cost savings for our two main end customer groups: data center and smart device players. Energy prices have become more volatile, while data center operators in some regions have experienced uncertainty over their ability to get enough power into their facilities. Smart device manufacturers can benefit from greater performance and user experience without compromising on battery life.

Our recent LCA found that the emissions reduction potential of our technology is over 2 million tCO2e by 2032.

What differentiates ZeroPoint’s solution from other compression technologies? 

Our technology is 1,000 times faster than other compression technologies on the market, with our family of products offering data compression across the entire memory hierarchy - from cache to storage.

Our focus on compression and compaction techniques to offer high compression efficiency without delay is unique in the compression technology space. We also prioritize transparent memory management to make our solution easier to integrate into our customers’ applications than other similar applications. 

What challenges do you face on your growth journey?

Since our efficiency savings are so high, some presume our solution is too good to be true, or that it isn’t yet available to buy. We are also creating a product for a market that is not yet established - compression technology exists but memory compression is unique to us.

We therefore have a responsibility to explain tangibly to our customers how our technology works and the economic and environmental value it will add to their businesses. We must also emphasize that we are commercial and already delivering our products to customers.

What’s next for ZeroPoint?

Earlier this year we signed an agreement with a major global semiconductor manufacturer to bring our hardware-accelerated memory compression to hyperscale data centers. We want to deliver on this partnership and form relationships with other customers to bring our memory compression technology to other product areas such as smart devices.

Our long term goal is to eliminate waste in the memory domain and set a new standard for more efficient memory storage.

Have we piqued your interest? Find out more about ZeroPoint and connect with Klas.