#324 Can a Contact Lens Be Your Next Computer with Roman Axelrod

In this episode of the CTO Show, host Mehmet interviews Roman Axelrod, Managing Partner and co-founder of XPANCEO. Roman shares his journey of building and selling technology companies and discusses his latest venture into developing a next-generation computing solution. With a vision to overcome the limitations of current gadgets, Roman and his team at XPANCEO are creating a soft contact lens capable of providing an extended reality (XR) experience, including image rendering, biological parameter measurement, and night vision. The project, backed by top optics labs and research awards, aims for human trials by 2026 with hopes of commercial availability by 2027-2029. The episode delves into the technology behind these revolutionary contact lenses, the challenges of creating atomic-thin materials for electronics, and the potential applications ranging from security to health monitoring. Roman also discusses why Dubai was chosen as XPANCEO's headquarters and shares insights on funding and the importance of purpose in deep tech entrepreneurship.

About Roman Axelrod and XPANCEO:

- XPANCEO is one of the most well-funded early-stage companies in the Middle East in 2023

- In the Top 5 optics laboratories in the world (by BCG) and Top 10 Research Institutions by Nature Index

- 3 exits in the past, $40M raised to back XPANCEO 4th prototype development

- Its co-founder is Dr. Valentyn Volkov, an h-index 38; 8000+ citations; partnerships with Nobel laureates

- The first to use 2D materials such as graphene to place electronic schemes the size of an atom on lenses as thin as medical ones, aka ultrathin XR glasses.

https://www.xpanceo.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/romanaxelrod

00:00 Welcome to the CTO Show: Introducing Roman Axelrod

01:08 Roman's Vision: The Future of Computing and XPANCEO's Mission

04:45 The Revolutionary Contact Lens: Merging Technology with Vision

06:03 Exploring the Prototype: A Glimpse into the Future

07:19 Addressing Concerns and the Potential of Contact Lens Technology

24:58 The Power of AI and the Future of Interface Technology

30:22 Choosing Dubai: A Strategic Move for XPANCEO

34:59 Funding and the Ecosystem in Dubai for Deep Tech Startups

43:31 The Deep Tech Journey: Challenges, Purpose, and Impact

50:18 Staying Updated: How to Follow XPANCEO's Progress

51:11 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude