When you think about the future of technology, one of the most exciting places to watch is where AI meets hardware. The physical world is messy, slow, and hard to build for.

We've always belived that the best team feels like working in the garage with the founders, not just betting on them. We look for people operating at the frontier of innovation - especially where those lines blur. Which is why we're excited to welcome Surya Maddula as our newest advisor for AI x Hardware.

Surya is one of those founders. His story starts young - he's been building startups since he was 13. That early start gave him a head start on understanding what it takes to build something meaningful over years not months.

His current company, Whisperwave is already moving fast and deliberate. He filed a patent in India and got it granted within eight months, an unusually quick turnaround. He's also filed a WIPO/PCT patent, and holds a national record related to his work.

He turned down offers from top Canadian universities - UofT, UBC, UWaterloo - to take a gap year and go all in on Whisperwave. That kind of bet on yourself and your vision is exactly the mindset needed by the founder.

Since then, Surya has raised $45,000 from EV, 1517 Fund, LocalHost and evm.capital. The first product is live, real users are testing it, and he's partnered with a top hardware company, aiming to ship by 2026.

Hardware startups are some of the hardest out there. They require technical breadth, patience, and resilience. Surya has lived those challenges firsthand, and his experience will be invaluable to founders in this space.

I'm really looking forward to working closely with Surya and having him share his knowledge with out portfolio. The AI x Hardware frontier is wide open, and Surya is exactly the founder and thinker we want to helping lead the way.

Welcome, Surya.