Bristol company Gnodal Ltd has developed a pioneering new technology to radically improve the efficiency of high-performance data centres across the world. The company is based in the University of Bristol’s SETsquared Business Acceleration Centre, which supports start-up companies.
Data centres, which house the computer servers and storage systems of large companies, are growing rapidly. However, the more they grow the less efficient they become in terms of performance, power consumption and cost. With the rise of services such as YouTube and the growing trend towards video streaming from corporations such as the BBC, the problem is set to escalate. This is reflected by the market research firm Dell‘Oro forecasting a market of $4.8 billion for high-speed data centre networks in 2011.
Gnodal, which recently secured £1.1 million funding from a syndicate of investors led by South West Ventures, is developing a technology that addresses the problems of network inefficiency. Their products will improve performance, lower power consumption and significantly reduce the cost of running data centres.
The company was set up by Fred Homewood, a visiting fellow at the University, Matt Hatch, an alumnus of the University, and other local entrepreneurs.
Speaking about the venture, Matt Hatch said,
‘By locating ourselves in SETsquared and taking advantage of the range of services on offer, we were able to kick-start the company very quickly and effectively. Bristol is the right place to locate a company like Gnodal in terms of available talent and knowledge from the local high-tech sector and the University. The South West has become the single most entrepreneurial region in Europe for the silicon industry.’
Fred Homewood, added,
Nick Sturge, SETsquared centre director commented,‘We are very excited about the potential of our technology. Gnodal’s products will enable a new generation of data centres to execute applications much more effectively and reduce the running costs and power requirements. Being based in Bristol has allowed us to rapidly build a critical mass of experienced engineers and have access to some of the very best business advice available.’
‘Gnodal is a fantastic company, typical of the quality of high-tech, high-growth ventures we are seeing come through the Centre. We are delighted to be working with Gnodal to accelerate their growth.’