Etched founder Gavin Uberti believes his company is built on the achievements of others

The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 triggered a fresh wave of AI companies and drew attention to existing players in the field like Etched. Co-founder and CEO Gavin Uberti stated in a recent episode of TechCrunch’s Found podcast that his company owes its success to the advancements made by others. Although the concept of developing chips tailored for transformer models was conceived before the AI surge in November 2022, it was crucial in getting the company off the ground.

Uberti noted, 'When we started, GPT-3 was still a unique and distinctive product that didn't receive much attention. But the release of ChatGPT changed the game by showcasing the demand for large-scale language models.' The November launch generated significant investor interest in AI, leading Etched to secure a seed round and begin its development journey. The company has since raised over $125 million in venture funding, positioning itself as a pioneer in the transformer technology space.

Uberti expressed his belief that competitors like Nvidia and Google will eventually enter the market, but Etched's early mover advantage gives them a significant lead. Drawing parallels to the Bitcoin mining industry, he emphasized the importance of producing specialized chips that outperform conventional solutions.

In addition to reflecting on the company's origins, Uberti shared insights on his decision to leave Harvard to pursue entrepreneurship and the challenges of recruitment in a complex industry. He also discussed a less-discussed aspect of company formation, highlighting the importance of timely employee benefit packages, a lesson learned by Etched through experience.