IDiyas Q&A: Meet legend Philippe Kahn, creator of the first instantly-shared camera phone photo

Meet legend Philippe Kahn, a technology entrepreneur. He is the inventor of more than 235 issued patents, of which 125+ patents are assigned to Fullpower® and the AI, ML, Sleep, and medical Fullpower® Cloud platform.

Philippe studied at the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland and Sofia-Antipolis, France, receiving his Master’s Degree in Mathematics. Philippe also earned his Master’s Degree in classical flute, with simultaneous minors in composition and chamber music from the Zurich Music Conservatory

He is leading his fourth company and is an AI leader. His ventures include:

– Borland (1982): A pioneering software company that became part of Micro Focus in 2009.
– Starfish Software (1994): Specializing in synchronization software, acquired by Motorola in
1998 and later part of Google’s portfolio in 2011.
– LightSurf Technologies (1998): Innovators in digital imaging and MMS services, joining
forces with Verisign in 2005.

Currently, Philippe is steering Fullpower-AI, a Santa Cruz-based powerhouse in deep learning
and generative AI sensing platforms. This technology, deployed in over 60 countries, aims to
revolutionize sectors like life sciences, health, wellness, biotechnology, and industrial
automation.

Fullpower-AI® stands out for its collaborations with industry leaders like Nike, Stryker, and
Tempur-Pedic. For example, the collaboration with Tempur-Pedic is particularly groundbreaking,
resulting in the world’s leading smart beds. These beds, powered by Fullpower-AI®’s
technology, respond to snoring and adapt to the sleeping environment without needing wearable
sensors.

Philippe’s passion for improving sleep quality, a crucial third of our lives, has led to significant
advancements. By tackling technical challenges, Fullpower-AI® has developed ways to
differentiate vital signs for two individuals in the same bed and adjust the bed’s geometry to
reduce snoring – a potential precursor to sleep apnea.

For Philippe, technology is a tool for pragmatic solutions that incrementally enhance people’s
lives. This philosophy extends beyond sleep solutions to broader healthcare innovations. Rather
than claiming to solve major health crises, Philippe focuses on tangible advancements that can
make a real difference.

AI

2023 was a huge year for generative AI. Tell us about your Santa Cruz-based deep learning and generative AI company, FullPower-AI.

We started working about 10 years ago on building an AIoT platform for sense-and-response applications. We are successfully vetted and deployed in 60+ countries with more than 1 million connected intelligent devices and growing. 

Are there trends or challenges in generative AI that excite you? What are they?

Generative AI is opening the door for new, exciting applications. In our case, we started early, and it is turbo-charging our AIoT platform.

Inventing & Patenting

Licensing/Commercialization

Historically, your business model has been licensing and working with great partners. FullPower-AI is working with industry giants like Tempur-Pedic and Nike. Your company, Lightsurf Technologies (which you cofounded with your wife Sonia) licensed the model you created for taking and instantly sharing camera phone photos to leading wireless companies. How do you present your ideas to potential licensees?

The key for our companies is to present working and solid technology, not just ideas or concepts. Therefore, it takes real technology innovation before approaching a new partner. 

What is your advice for taking away risks and getting potential licensees to agree to work with you and/or license your intellectual property? How do you create trust?

There is always risk. Whenever you present something to a large company, they look at three alternatives: Do nothing, build it ourselves, or partner.  the desired outcome is a partner, of course. To maximize the chances of success, show something real that works. You are asking these companies to bet on you; you must bet on your offering. 

Entrepreneurship

All of the companies you founded based on technology innovation have been acquired. How do you predict where the future is headed? It is more like you are shaping where the future is headed, no?!

Being acquired is a natural exit. But I have also done a couple of successful IPOs. I think exit strategies are opportunistic. 

How did your mentor, the pioneering computer scientist Professor Niklaus Wirth, influence you?

I had mentors: Professor Niklaus Wirth on the technology side and The CEO of Intel, Andy Grove as a business mentor. I kept continual contact as much as possible. They have both passed, and I cherish my time with them and their lessons. 

You don’t invest in companies, but you are a mentor. What is your advice for establishing a lifelong relationship with a mentor?

It has to be a two-way relationship and common core values. In Professor Wirth’s case, we are both proponents of software craftsmanship. In the case of Andy Grove, we both came to Silicon Valley as immigrants. 

Do you have specific advice for young inventors?

Really invent, don’t plagiarize. 

Your love of life extends to the outdoors and being active — you are also celebrated for your sailing accomplishments, a surfer, and a backcountry skier, as well as a father. How do you make time for everything that is important to you?

I see my life as a whole, a continuum. I don’t compartmentalize. I’m lucky my partner shares the same, and my kids function similarly. We all get along in that world. That allows for a lot of possibilities. I’m grateful.