In an exclusive interview with FundingBlogger, Dr. Angelo Corsaro, CEO and co-founder of ZettaScale Technology, shared insights into the company’s groundbreaking work in distributed computing and its ambitious plans for growth. Recently named among France’s 50 most innovative startups and awarded “Best Cloud-to-Device Platform 2024,” ZettaScale is positioning itself as a transformative force in the world of autonomous systems and robotics.
Building the Digital Nervous System
“Think of how we’re building systems today. They’re literally digital Frankensteins, with decades-old technologies stitched together to solve problems they weren’t designed for,” Dr. Corsaro explains. ZettaScale’s mission is to revolutionize this paradigm by creating what he describes as a “nervous system” for digital infrastructure—enabling seamless communication, computation, and storage from cloud to device.
Drawing an compelling analogy with the human body, Dr. Corsaro elaborates: “The body is what robotics deals with; the brain is what AI is concerned about. But a body and brain are useless unless everything is properly wired by an efficient nervous system.” This perspective underlies ZettaScale’s innovative approach to connecting autonomous systems.
The result of current approaches, as Dr. Corsaro notes, “is like Frankenstein—clumsy, lacking agility, hard to manage and evolve, and performing well below optimal. What we do at ZettaScale is transform this clumsy Frankenstein into an athlete.”
Leadership and Expertise
Under Dr. Corsaro’s leadership, ZettaScale has assembled a remarkable team, with over 50% of their engineering staff holding Ph.D. degrees. Dr. Corsaro himself brings extensive expertise to the table, with over 100 publications and co-authorship of more than ten international standards. His background includes serving as CTO for PrismTech and ADLINK Technology, as well as holding a position on the Board of Directors of the Eclipse Foundation, which represents the world’s largest sponsored collection of Open-Source projects and developers.
Innovation Through Advanced Protocol Suite
The company’s comprehensive technology stack includes:
- Zenoh: An open-source protocol unifying data in motion, data at rest, and computations, particularly suited for resource-constrained environments
- Cyclone DDS: A robust Data Distribution Service implementation for mission-critical systems, widely adopted in robotics and autonomous vehicles
- Zetta Auto: A specialized communication stack developed with TTTech Auto, integrating DDS and Zenoh protocols with Time-Sensitive Networking for software-defined vehicles
- Zetta Platform: A comprehensive cloud-to-microcontroller solution for easy implementation and provisioning of Zenoh technology
These innovations have garnered significant recognition. The company was selected as one of the top 10 finalists in #Spring50 by experts from leading institutions including EDF, THALES, HEC, Ecole Polytechnique, and Societe Generale. Additionally, the Open Robotics Foundation—responsible for ROS, the world’s most widely used robotics platform—identified Zenoh as the optimal protocol for robotics applications.
Growth and Investment Plans
ZettaScale is currently seeking to raise up to €15 million in fresh capital, targeting a pre-money valuation of €60 million. The company expects to reach €3.3 million in revenue this year, with projected 48% CAGR in sales from 2024 to 2032. The funding initiative, dubbed “Project MOORE,” aims to conclude by the end of Q1 2025.
“We’re looking to scale our business in the robotics and automotive segments,” Dr. Corsaro reveals. The company is already engaged in discussions with potential investors, with initial talks beginning in late 2024 and more scheduled for early 2025.
Future Innovations and Industry Impact
Looking ahead, ZettaScale is finalizing ISO-26262 ASIL-D certification for their stacks, a crucial step for expanding their automotive and aerospace/defense capabilities. The company has also recently released new visual tools for system monitoring and debugging, with more innovations in the pipeline focused on operational management infrastructure.
Dr. Corsaro sees a significant shift in the industry’s future: “Cloud computing has been the apex of centralization, but it’s widely understood that this model won’t scale to the connectivity and computing requirements imposed by connected vehicles and robotics.” ZettaScale was founded precisely to enable this transition, as emerging application domains force transformation on existing infrastructure.
The ZettaScale Culture
Perhaps most striking is the company’s unique culture. “ZettaScale is really about Zettlers, as we call ourselves,” Dr. Corsaro shares. The company’s identity is built upon the seven virtues of knighthood, which manifests in their brave approach to innovation and extreme loyalty and resilience with customers.
When asked about advice for emerging startups, Dr. Corsaro’s guidance is clear: “Pick a problem nobody else has solved yet and which is hard to address by established vendors because of legacy, and change the rules of the game.”
As autonomous systems and robotics continue to evolve, ZettaScale’s innovative approach to digital infrastructure positions it at the forefront of this technological revolution. With strong leadership, cutting-edge technology, and a clear vision for the future, ZettaScale appears well-positioned to transform how we think about connected systems in the years to come.
This exclusive interview was facilitated by MP Corporate Finance.